You love them. You want to trust them. But if you spot signs that your spouse, partner, child or another loved one is taking money from you or concealing major financial transactions, will you confront the situation or ignore it? Consider these tips.

1. Don't be naive. Warning signs of financial mischief might be readily apparent. Ask yourself if you're making a conscious effort to avoid asking pointed questions or doing the math.

2. Brace yourself. Unfortunately, your missing money and valuables could be a sign of any number of troubling scenarios: Your teen could be addicted to drugs; your partner could be attempting to conceal a gambling problem or major debt; or someone you care about could be taking advantage of your trust and generosity.

3. Read your bank statements. Paycheck deposits should match up with salaries. If they don't, someone might be making deposits in person and skimming off the top.

4. Examine your credit card bills. A large number of cash advances on your credit card could spell trouble. So could exorbitantly high charges on your gas card; the person using the card could be making large "cash-back" purchases at the Texaco or 7-Eleven.

5. Is your partner a dictator? It's not uncommon for one family member with an eye for detail to handle the finances. But be concerned if your mate demands total control by failing to inform you about major purchases or refusing to give you access to information about family finances.

6. Are there secret accounts? It's one thing if you and your mate make a joint decision to have separate checking, savings or credit card accounts. But you should be suspicious if your partner won't let you see credit card statements or has statements sent to a work address or post office box.

7. Be wary of empty pockets. Reflect on whether you always have to pick up the tab because your partner or loved one is routinely out of money.

8. It's not always sinister. Partners and other loved ones frequently keep at least some fiscal information to themselves for a host of reasons. Financial planners say the No. 1 secret usually is shopping, and that's often because people are embarrassed about their credit card debt.

9. Think about your loved one. Could he or she be keeping financial information from you because of a desire to maintain a certain image? Or because of a fear of conflict, or a desire for privacy, autonomy or control?

10. Get help. If you discern that your loved one has a serious problem that warrants professional help, don't hesitate to seek it out.

-- Source: MSN Money

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