British families are four times more willing to talk about sex than finances, despite the fact that more than 75% of us worry about money management.

Money rates just fourth place as a preferred topic for discussion, after sex, current affairs and religion.

The lack of healthy conversation about our finances leads to unrest, with 38% of families reporting that they argue about dosh on a more regular basis than relationships, other members of the family, work, television or politics.

The research, carried out by lender Picture Financial, suggests that half of us say we think credit is a good thing when used correctly, but our reluctance to talking about it would suggest otherwise.

Behavioural psychologist Donna Dawson said: “Despite being a nation of regular credit users, we tend to shroud our family finances in mystery when we really don’t need to and as a result this can lead to unnecessary tension.”

Julia Dallimore, marketing director at Picture Financial, said: “This reluctance to discuss our money can lead to a head-in-the-sand approach to our finances. Being more open with our money management and taking regular time out to review and sort out our finances can make all the difference to our financial health.”