Marriage and Money Matters

Money is the number one cause of both argument and divorce within a marriage. Learn to handle and talk about money so as to prevent those unpleasant financial matters from disrupting your marital bliss.

You have probably heard it said that money is the biggest reason for marital arguments, resentment and divorce. Even if you and your spouse agreed to certain money guidelines before getting hitched, know that all the stress that may come from trying to make ends meet can create serious problems between the two of you, as can shifting priorities. There are certain steps you can take to prevent money woes from devouring your marriage, however.

Remember that communication is always key. Talk about money. Lay out both of your financial goals, spending habits and disclose all personal debt. Don't let your maxed-out credit cards or your partner's student loan debt come between you two - discuss them, then decide together how to tackle them. Share your personal credit report, benefit packages and current savings and assets.

Set priorities. Talk about where you'd like to be in 10 years and how you'd like your money to be spent. Do you plan to have kids? Buy a house? Travel? These can all be expensive endeavors, so you need to be certain that your priorities are the same.

Create a plan. Decide how you're going to pay off your debt and save for major purchases. Discuss how finances are going be handled. Will you have joint accounts or separate ones? Decide who's going to be responsible for which bills and write it down so that you don't forget. Dividing this burden between you two will make it easier and ensure that you both will always have some sense of where you are financially.

Life is complicated enough. Don't let money stresses interfere with your relationship. Instead, work together to tackle problems and help one another out whenever necessary. Handling your finances together may not only prevent nasty arguments, but could help make you both feel better about your situation.

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