Stress proliferation and adaptation hypotheses explain the coping processes for marital satisfaction during periods of economic adversity. However, empirical studies have less explored crucial consumer-related coping mechanisms, such as financial resilience and financial disagreement. Furthermore, consumer heterogeneity in marital dyads suggests greater complexity of financial coping, while this perspective lacks empirical examination and advanced modeling. This study utilized national survey data on Chinese couples (N = 912 pairs) and conducted structural equation modeling in single-level, multi-group, and multilevel approaches to examining the hypothesized pathways differentiated by dyadic responses (household heads and partners), sociodemographic subgroups (36 nested model comparisons), and cross-level mediation and moderation effects considering within- and between-couple features (18 models in 2-2-1 patterns). Consistently significant and stronger indirect effects of economic adversity on marital satisfaction via financial resilience than financial disagreement highlight the importance of positive financial coping processes on consumers’ marital well-being in weathering external economic shocks.
