‘We're All in This Together… Maybe Too Much?’: The Financial Enmeshment Scale

ABSTRACT Financial enmeshment describes a family dynamic where financial boundaries blur. Although research acknowledges its impact, there was no specific tool to measure it. The Financial Enmeshment Scale (FES) addresses this gap. The FES is developed through item creation, validation procedures and data collection. The resulting scale has three subcategories: Financial Obligation and Support, Financial Interference and Control and Financial Boundaries. The FES demonstrates good reliability and reflects well on financial dynamics within families. The scale was validated through two studies. The first study, involving 375 participants, was used for preliminary analysis, whereas the second study, with 1160 participants, provided the final data. This paves the way for the FES to be a valuable tool in future research and interventions to improve financial well‐being.