Are bank accounts the new friendship bracelets? 

If you think splitting an appetizer with a friend is intimate, there’s a new trend that’ll knock your socks off: friendship joint bank accounts. 

Some besties are skipping straight to the bank to pool their funds and save up for a rainy day. 

The practice — which was popularized on TikTok, per NBC — is the pinnacle of financial intimacy: 

• Apps like Cash App make it easier for friends to open joint accounts and start saving.
• Many friends save for group trips or other large expenses to avoid footing a bill all at once or bickering over who ate the Toblerones from the mini fridge. 

The obvious downside: Your grandma told you never to talk about money at the dinner table. 

Oh, and everyone on a joint account can typically withdraw funds, meaning a friendship breakup could cost you, literally.

Sharing is caring?

Bank accounts aren’t the only place where BFFs are pushing financial boundaries — they’re bringing it home.

Best buds are signing mortgages together as home co-ownership becomes more commonplace.

• The trend is driven by a housing market that’s pushed out many prospective buyers.
• Prices are up 56% since February 2020, and ~15% of 2024 homebuyers purchased houses with a friend or relative, according to industry reports.
• Plus, some co-buyers simply don’t want to live alone. 

Two wallets are better than one, and being solo in the worst house on the block pales in comparison to living in luxury with a bestie for many. 

OOO, together 

This applies to those lucky enough to be purchasing vacation homes, too. 

• A survey conducted by Pacaso, a second-home co-ownership marketplace, found that 80% of US adults are down with professionally managed co-ownership.
• And 75% say shared costs would tip the scale from browsing to buying. 

But, we all know the real hack here: Find a friend who already owns a vacation house and enjoy your stress-free beach days.