Understanding economic abuse, its lasting impact, and ways to reclaim financial control
Content Note: This resource discusses intimate partner violence, economic abuse, financial control, debt, and coercion. Please take care of yourself while reading. Feel free to pause, skip sections, or return whenever you’re ready.
Economic abuse (sometimes called financial abuse) is one of the most common, and often least recognized, forms of gender-based violence. While many people think of abuse as physical or emotional harm; economic abuse works by controlling a survivor’s ability to earn, use, save, or access money. It is a tactic used to create dependence, limit choices, and make it more difficult to leave or recover from an abusive situation.
Economic abuse can look different for everyone. It may include:
- Preventing someone from working or interfering with their employment.
- Taking or controlling someone’s paycheck.
- Forcing debt into another person’s name.
- Damaging credit or opening accounts without permission.
- Restricting access to bank accounts or financial information.
- Monitoring purchases or requiring permission to spend money.
- Withholding identification, financial records, or important documents.
For many survivors, economic abuse doesn’t happen on its own, it often exists alongside emotional, physical, or other forms of abuse. It can continue long after a relationship ends, making it harder to rebuild financial stability and independence.
THE FINANCIAL COST OF ABUSE
Economic abuse doesn’t just affect bank accounts, it impacts safety, health, housing, employment, and future opportunities.
Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the lifetime economic cost of intimate partner violence averages approximately $103,767 for women survivors and $23,414 for men survivors, including healthcare costs, lost income, legal expenses, and other long-term impacts.
FreeFrom’s survivor-led research also highlights the day-to-day financial harm survivors experience. On average, survivors reported:
- $1,280 stolen each month by the person causing harm.
- $1,090 of their own money restricted or controlled each month.
- $15,936 in coerced or fraudulent debt each year.
- $23,076 in lost income annually.
- $17,770 in annual property damage.
These numbers represent much more than financial loss. They reflect the ways economic abuse can limit safety, reduce options, and create barriers to long-term financial well-being.
THE LASTING IMPACT
The effects of economic abuse often continue long after the abuse has ended.
A landmark study by Bonomi and colleagues found that survivors experiencing intimate partner violence had healthcare costs 42% higher than people who had not experienced abuse. Even five or more years after the abuse ended, healthcare costs remained 19% higher, demonstrating that the impacts of abuse can persist for years.
Economic abuse can also affect:
- Credit history and access to future loans.
- Housing stability and rental opportunities.
- Employment and career advancement.
- Physical and mental health.
- Access to childcare, transportation, education, and other essential resources.
UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL WELL-BEING
Financial well-being isn’t simply about how much money someone has. It also includes whether you feel safe, have options, and can meet your needs today while planning for the future.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) measures financial well-being on a scale from 0 to 100.
- The average U.S. adult scores 54.
- Scores of 50 or below often indicate greater financial challenges.
- Scores of 30 or below are strongly associated with material hardship.
FreeFrom’s research found that survivors average a score of 38, with the most common score being 29. These findings reinforce what many survivors already know: economic abuse creates barriers that are structural, not personal failures.
STEPS YOU CAN TAKE
If you’re experiencing or recovering from economic abuse, know this: you are not alone, and what happened to you is not your fault. There are resources, strategies, and communities that can help you strengthen your financial safety over time.
Some steps you might consider include:
Gather important documents. If it’s safe to do so, collect or make copies of identification, Social Security cards, birth certificates, tax documents, bank statements, and other financial records.
Monitor your credit. Review your credit reports regularly for unfamiliar accounts, fraudulent activity, or debt opened without your knowledge.
Create private financial access. If it’s safe, consider opening a separate bank account, creating a secure email address, and updating passwords for financial accounts.
Build savings when you can. Even small amounts saved over time can create greater flexibility and more options in the future.
Connect with survivor-centered support. You don’t have to navigate economic abuse alone. Connecting with survivor-centered organizations and communities can provide practical tools, financial education, and support as you move toward greater financial autonomy.
YOU DESERVE FINANCIAL FREEDOM
Economic abuse is real, and its effects can be significant. But economic abuse does not define your future.
Whether you’re learning about financial abuse for the first time, creating a safety plan, or rebuilding after harm, every step toward understanding your finances is a step toward greater choice, stability, and self-determination.
Your financial journey doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Take what serves you, move at your own pace, and remember that building financial resilience is about creating more options.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
SOURCES
- FreeFrom. Prioritizing Financial Security.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Financial Well-Being Scale.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Economic Burden of Intimate Partner Violence.
- Bonomi, A. E., Anderson, M. L., Rivara, F. P., & Thompson, R. S. (2009). Health Care Utilization and Costs Associated with Physical and Nonphysical-Only Intimate Partner Violence. Health Services Research.
