It's not the crime, it's the cover-up. In politics and in marriage, the old lesson applies. And this provocative new book makes a compelling case that financial infidelity--lying to your partner about how much you spend, secretly playing the stock market or piling up debts--can be just as damaging to a relationship as adultery. "The dangerous thing about financial infidelity," writes Weil, "is not the secret itself, but the act of conscious deception in a relationship." Weil, a psychologist in New York City with 30 years of experience counseling troubled couples, takes an uncompromising position: "There's no such thing as an innocent financial fib." Even if you don't accept her zero-tolerance approach--Weil frowns on even the surreptitious picking of your partner's clothing pockets or wallet for extra cash--financial faithlessness may be more widespread than you think. According to a recent Harris poll, 40% of all adults in a committed relationship admitted to lying to their partner about spending habits.

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