TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Brides-and-grooms-to-be will often share family secrets, friends and eventually that first piece of wedding cake this wedding season, but many will not share personal information and their financial history before they marry. A new survey from LifeLock, conducted by Harris Interactive, examined what information consumers share and when during relationships. The survey found that more than 30* million Americans, would never inform their significant other of credit issues. The survey also found millions of Americans engage in risky information-sharing behavior.
“People have a real interest in their significant other’s financial information, but many do not openly discuss it, which can lead to unpleasant surprises,” said LifeLock President Hilary Schneider. “LifeLock has a strong focus on educating consumers, including those going to the altar, about protecting personal information and understanding their risks so they can make informed decisions. Individuals should be very careful with whom they share their passwords, even for their smartphones. If they experience identity theft they should report it to the authorities immediately.”
Key findings of the 2013 LifeLock Relationship Survey, conducted online in April among more than 2,000 online US adults ages 18 and older, include:
- Younger Men Keep Financial Secrets – Men ages 18-34 are the group least likely to tell a spouse or significant other if they have experienced credit issues, which means that significant others need to proactively ask. Women ages 35-44 are the second least likely to tell a significant other of existing credit issues.
- Hands Off My Smartphone – nearly 40* million Americans are married, own a smartphone and believe sharing a life together does not include sharing their smartphone password with their significant other.
- Casual Sharing – On the flip side, nearly 2.5* million Americans do share their smartphone password, and a treasure trove of personal information, with their friends. The survey found younger men (18–34) are more likely to share this with their friends than older men 55+ and women age 35-44 and women age 55+.
- Breaking the Silence on Identity Theft – The vast majority of identity theft victims/potential victims tell/would tell a spouse or significant other (71 percent) and law enforcement (72 percent) about being a victim, but there are still too many who remain or would remain silent. Since identity theft can impact those in a relationship, it is important to tell them – and law enforcement – about your experience.
* Calculation based on U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 Census, which estimates there are 237,744,632 million adults ages 18+ residing in the United States.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of LifeLock from April 22-24, 2013 among 2,066 adults ages 18 and older. When a population number was included, it was extrapolated from the number of Americans 18 and older in the most recent U.S. Census data. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Scott Love of Schwartz MSL at lifelock@schwartzmsl.com.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll® and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers proprietary solutions in the areas of market and customer insight, corporate brand and reputation strategy, and marketing, advertising, public relations and communications research. Harris possesses expertise in a wide range of industries including health care, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Additionally, Harris has a portfolio of multi-client offerings that complement our custom solutions while maximizing our client’s research investment. Serving clients in more than 196 countries and territories through our North American and European offices, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us - and our clients - stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
About LifeLock
LifeLock, Inc. (NYSE:LOCK), is a leading provider of proactive identity theft protection services for consumers and identity risk assessment and fraud protection services for enterprises. Since 2005, LifeLock has been relentlessly protecting identities by providing consumers with the tools and confidence they need to help protect themselves from identity theft and manage their credit. In October 2012, Javelin Strategy & Research named LifeLock Ultimate™ a “Best in Class Overall” identity theft protection solution and also named it “Best in Detection”. In March 2012, LifeLock further demonstrated its commitment to combating identity fraud with the purchase of ID Analytics, Inc., a leader in enterprise identity risk management that provides visibility into identity risk and credit worthiness. ID Analytics, Inc. currently operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of LifeLock, Inc.
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