For many survivors of domestic violence, abuse doesn’t end with physical harm or emotional manipulation. Financial control is one of the most powerful and least talked-about tools abusers use to trap survivors and limit their independence.

Reclaiming your finances after economic/financial abuse can feel overwhelming, but it is possible. With the right information, safety planning, and support, survivors can rebuild financial stability and regain control of their future. A Greene County Family Justice Center Navigator can assist. 

What Is Economic or Financial Abuse?

Economic abuse occurs when an abusive partner controls, exploits, or sabotages a person’s access to money, credit, or financial resources. It often continues even after separation and is a key reason many survivors feel unable to leave or return to unsafe relationships.

Financial abuse can happen in isolation, but it most often exists in combination with other forms including emotional, psychological, or physical abuse.

Common Tactics of Financial Abuse

Abusers can use a wide range of tactics like the following to gain and maintain control.

• Restricting access to money – withholding cash, monitoring spending, or requiring permission to buy necessities

• Sabotaging employment or education – preventing work, harassing at the workplace, or forcing job loss

• Creating debt in the survivor’s name – opening credit cards, loans, or utilities without consent. Abusers can also create coerced debt by forcing the victim to take on debt.

• Controlling bank accounts – demanding passwords, removing names from accounts, or draining funds

• Ruining credit on purpose – missing payments, defaulting on loans, or forcing financial dependence

• Using finances to threaten or punish — refusing child support, threatening eviction, or withholding money for basic needs

Recognizing these patterns is an important first step toward reclaiming control.

Staying Safe: Financial Safety Planning

Before making financial changes, safety comes first. If an abusive person still has access to you or your financial information, consider the following safety-focused steps.

• Use a safe device and email account the abuser cannot access.
• Change passwords and security questions on financial accounts.
• Opt out of paper statements and use secure digital access.
• Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with credit bureaus.

Every survivor’s situation is different. Move at a pace that feels safe for you.

Rebuilding Credit After Financial Abuse

Damaged credit is one of the most common barriers survivors face, but it can be repaired. Request your free credit reports from all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion).

1. Review for errors or fraud, including accounts you didn’t open.
2. Dispute fraudulent accounts. Many survivors qualify for identity theft protections.
3. Create a plan to address legitimate debt, starting with essentials.
4. Rebuild slowly with secured credit cards or credit-builder loans if it’s safe to do so.

Banking Safely After Abuse

Establishing safe, independent banking is a key milestone in financial recovery.

• Open accounts at a new bank or credit union the abuser does not use.
• Avoid shared accounts whenever possible.
• Use strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication.
• Ask about confidential accounts or address protections.
• Keep emergency funds hidden or stored safely if needed.

Some banks and credit unions offer survivor-friendly policies. 

Budgeting for Stability and Healing

Budgeting after abuse isn’t about restriction. It’s about regaining choice and control.

• List your current income and essential expenses.
• Prioritize housing, food, utilities, and transportation.
• Build an emergency fund, even if it starts with just a few dollars.
• Allow space for healing. Counseling, childcare, or medical costs matter.

A budget should support your safety, recovery, and long-term goals, not punish you for surviving.

You Are Not Behind. You Are Rebuilding.

Economic abuse is intentional, strategic, and deeply damaging. If you’re struggling financially after abuse, it’s not a failure but a result of control you did not choose.

Reclaiming your finances is a process, not a single step. With support, education, and time, survivors can rebuild credit, regain independence, and create a future that belongs to them.

You deserve safety. You deserve stability. And you deserve financial freedom. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, we can help plan how to stay safe. All our services are free, confidential and survivor centered. Visit us at 1418 E. Pythian Street or give us a call at 417-874-2600. We are open 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. For after-hours assistance, call the Harmony House/Victim Center’s 24-hour safe line at 417-864-SAFE (7233). If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.

About GCFJC

The Greene County Family Justice Center is a non-profit collaborative of local agencies offering comprehensive services to survivors of domestic, sexual, and family violence. Our services are trauma-informed, survivor-centered, and we welcome survivors at any point in their process. We partner with local non-profit service providers as well as local law enforcement, the Prosecutor’s office, and Children’s Division to make victim services more accessible and completely voluntary. If you do not want to participate in the criminal justice process, we support you.

Our vision is a future where we all work together to meet the needs of domestic violence and human trafficking survivors through comprehensive and accessible services, education, and perpetrator accountability. Through a coordinated framework and co-located response, we strive to break the vicious generational cycle and community impact of domestic violence and resulting victimizations.

We can help you plan for your safety whether you plan to stay in the relationship, or you are actively trying to escape. All our services are free, confidential and survivor centered. Have questions about what services are available? Visit us at 1418 E. Pythian Street or give us a call at 417-874-2600. We are open 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. For after-hours assistance, call the Harmony House/Victim Center’s 24-hour safe line at 417-864-SAFE (7233). If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.