Five per cent of those surveyed admitted to hiding credit cards from their partner, with just over a quarter (26%) confessing to concealing up to £1,000 of debt on these ‘secret’ cards.

Almost one in ten (8%) had amassed more than £5,000 of debt – that is more than £625m of secret debt in total.

Meanwhile, 40% of those survyed said they have at least one joint bank account with their partner while 28% have both joint and separate accounts.

Nearly a quarter (24%) said they have a separate bank account for financial independence.

Matt Sanders, banking and credit card expert at Gocompare.com, said: “Financial independence is very important for some couples so it’s understandable that many want to keep their bank accounts and credit cards separate.

“Joint accounts can be very useful when you are paying household bills, and with the Payments Council’s new current account switch guarantee up and running it’s now easier than ever to find a bank or building society account that suits you and your partner’s needs.

“You no longer have to worry about the complexities and hassle of transferring standing orders and direct debits as it will all be done for you, so there’s no excuse not to shop around.”