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According to research from Halifax Credit Cards, there are around 217,000 ’secret’ credit cards in the UK - with ’secret’ meaning that the card holders’ partners don’t know about them.

Those cards are kept secret for a variety of reasons. Some card holders keep them to buy things they don’t want their partner to know about. Others are making sure they’re prepared for emergencies.

But some do it to hide existing debt from their partners.

According to Halifax Credit Cards, secret card debt ‘may not be as harmless as it would first seem’. The company’s press release points out that hiding debt from a partner can lead to problems further down the line. If a couple ends up applying for a product in joint names, for example, they may be asked to provide details of any outstanding debts - ‘possibly leading to difficult conversations which could otherwise have been avoided’.

In the words of Adrian Bryant, head of marketing for Halifax Credit Cards: “It’s important that people are honest about their finances with their partner as it may affect their ability to secure products in joint names.”

Lenders need an insight into people’s finances before they make a decision about whether or not to lend them money - and what sort of interest rate to charge if they do.

Clearly, there are better times for people in a relationship to ‘come clean’ about their finances than when they’re in the middle of applying for further credit. In the majority of cases people find their partner to be much more understanding than they would have thought. The partner is usually a very good source of support, both emotionally and practically. The partner not only knows you inside out, they will also have a comprehensive understanding of your finances and so can offer more tailored debt advice.

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