Good morning Dinks. How is the money in your marriage? I know a newlywed couple who just got married after only dating for a year and they immediately merged their finances. When I asked the husband why they did that he said “Because that’s what you’re supposed to do.” I don’t know how I feel about that comment.
Is that what people think marriage is? The best financial advice I can give for a happy marriage is to do whatever works for you as a couple. Nick and I have been together for almost sixteen years (in August) and we only recently opened a joint bank account, we also still maintain separate checking accounts and investment accounts. Some couples may think this is weird but it works for us.
What financial advice can you give to couples when it comes to marriage?
Marry someone with more money than you
With TV shows like The Millionaire Matchmaker how can you not want to marry and have all your financial worries come to an end. I know a woman who did just that. She wasn’t necessarily looking for someone who was rich, but having money and being financially stable was definitely on her deal breaker list.
f I was rich I personally would never go on a date with someone who was just interested in money, but that’s just me. It’s not to say that the person won’t eventually truly fall in love with you, but you’ll always know that money was the first attraction.
Don’t marry someone with debt
Amen to this piece of advice. As someone who has been drowning in debt (twice) so much that I literally couldn’t breathe I can tell you first hand that people with debt are a total mess. This is my one piece of financial advice for a happy marriage.
In my case debt was just one part of my life that was spiraling out of control and I was in no state mentally or emotionally to commit to a relationship (if I wasn’t already in one). Then there’s the actual financial burden of having to use your salary to make debt payments, that puts a huge strain on a relationship.
Keep accounts separate
There is absolutely no need to rush into merging your bank accounts. I know some couples see it as a sign of trust, but trust me money can get messy if you are still getting to know each other’s personal habits. If you’re a saver and your spouse is a spender it’s better to realize it before the money is merged and before it can cause any real damage to your financial situation.
Talk about money
This is another great piece of financial advice for a happy marriage. Nick and I never talked about money early on in our relationship and now that we talk about it all the time our relationship is better (and stronger) for it. A lot of problems can happen in a marriage when there’s a lack of communication and this includes talking (or not talking) about money.
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