How to connect with your spouse about finances

Too many spouses don’t share enough information about family finances. It’s not unusual for one spouse to take care of investments and pay the bills. The other spouse may not be interested or may be too busy. It’s a fact that not everyone is interested in investing, budgeting or banking.

But this can lead to a bad outcome in case of death, divorce or separation. In fact, money is one of the top 10 reasons for marriage breakdown.

Money or anything related to finances can be a possible cause of disagreement between many people – including couples. Married couples, whether they are happy or not, may have disagreements over little financial issues to much bigger shared financial responsibilities or unequal monetary status. Money may not always be the principal cause but in fact is usually combined with other forms of reasons for divorce. In any case, it is still a significant contributor and should be managed with fairness from both sides, mutual understanding and a tiny dose of compromise.

But even couples that are financially compatible should sit down from time to time to review their financial situation. Our books: BEFORE I GO and BEFORE I GO WORKBOOK were written to help people do this.

If there is a difference in the financial mind-sets of a couple, a financial advisor may be able to act as a facilitator to reconcile the differences.

A financial advisor can educate the couple about investing, budgeting and retirement planning. Regular meetings with a couple’s financial advisor provide them with the opportunity to share critical family financial issues, keep everyone informed and help resolve issues before they lead to conflict.

Having a trusted financial advisor in place, one who is already familiar with a couple’s finances, can also help in case you find yourself “suddenly single.”

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