Summer Essentials: Find Me the Money!  The Top 5 Ways People Hide Money in Divorce with Top Forensic Accountant, Tracy Coenen on Divorce & Beyond #428

What happens when you suspect your spouse isn't telling the truth about the finances? Susan Guthrie says it's more common than you think, and it's exactly what forensic accountant Tracy Coenen does for a living.

Tracy Coenen has spent more than 25 years uncovering hidden money in corporate fraud cases and in divorces too. She calls it "divorce financial planning," when someone sees a split coming and starts thinking about what they can do with the money so they don't have to divide it or pay support on it. She also calls out "divorce amnesia," the sudden inability to remember an inheritance or a bank account on a financial disclosure form. Tracy returns to Divorce and Beyond to walk through the five most common ways people hide money when a marriage ends.

As a divorce attorney for more than three decades, Susan has seen plenty of these sneaky moves herself, and she knows a forensic accountant can almost always find them. Together, she and Tracy go through the practical, do it yourself steps to spot the signs using bank statements, tax documents, and a little pattern recognition, without hiring a small army of experts. If the numbers in your divorce have ever felt off, this one is for you.

What You'll Learn

What to look for when a spouse is only depositing part of their paycheck into the joint account

Why a sudden increase in cash withdrawals, or a spouse suddenly hitting the ATM, is worth a closer look

How gift cards and cash back at checkout can become a quiet way to siphon money out of the marital estate

How to spot a secret credit card, especially when it's hiding at the very same bank as your main account

Why a paycheck, bonus, or commission that vanishes right as a divorce begins may not be a coincidence

How pulling together the right bank statements and tax documents lets you spot these patterns yourself, without paying a forensic accountant

Episode 4 of 8 in the Divorce & Beyond Summer Essentials Series. This summer, Divorce & Beyond brings back 8 the episodes listeners reach for most, the conversations with the clearest, most practical guidance for anyone thinking about, going through, or rebuilding after divorce. New Essentials air every other Monday all summer. Follow the show so you never miss one.

About this week's special guest: Tracy Coenen