Case. One partner hid loans and spending; it all surfaced at a major purchase.
Model. Financial secrecy is a data-integrity breach. The problem isn’t the sum but that trust in the “transaction log” is undermined.
What helped. A full financial review without blame, an agreement on transparency, and small steps to pay off debt together.
Lesson. Hidden debts ruin not the budget but trust — and it’s trust you must rebuild.