Money Talks

Are you financially intimate with your partner? In today’s world, our finances can be just as complicated as our relationships. Money is a top contributor to the end of relationships, often ahead of sex and intimacy. How do you come to an understanding about money with your honey? Experts say honesty is always the best policy.
"Shared information is the best way to avoid a fight," says Brooke M. Stephens, financial advisor and author of Wealth Happens One Day at a Time: 365 Days to a Brighter Financial Future. "Money and marriage is about being adult, mature and responsible."
Here are some tips to keep your finances from interfering with your romance:

• Start talking – Knowing and understanding each other’s feelings about spending, saving and investing will give you a solid foundation to work from.


• Joint and separate accounts – Getting a joint account for household expenses and maintaining separate checking and savings accounts for non-household related purchases is a good idea.


• Separate credit – It’s important that each person develops good and separate credit, giving each other options if there are credit difficulties and providing protection should the relationship end.