Your wedding may be one of the biggest days of your life. 但早在那个特殊的时刻到来之前, it’s important to have conversations with your significant other around your personal financial approach. It might seem like a logical move to combine your finances right away, but it’s important to consider what makes the most sense for your situation. That’s why Elements is here with trusted advice around marriage and your money. We’ll address a range of issues from whether you’ll file taxes together or not to who will be the beneficiary on your policies and estate. We’re here to help you understand many of these key factors for building a healthy financial life together.

银行在一起

进行财务对话通常会很困难. However, to build a successful relationship, these conversations are necessary. When you begin to make decisions about banking together, consider the following topics.

合并账户

While combining your bank accounts might seem like the easiest and smartest move, you have options for making a plan to handle finances together:

独立的账户: While transparency and mutual understanding of goals are critical, many couples successfully manage their key financial accounts – such as checking and savings – on an individualized basis. This works well if you two have different spending habits, 然而，这让支付账单变得更有挑战性.

一半合并: In this situation, the couple maintains separate accounts where both have payroll deposited. Then, they contribute to a joint account from which their expenses get paid. This is a good option if you’re looking to maintain some independence, 然而，管理各种账户可能会让人感到困惑.

Full Merge: 把你们所有的钱都存到一个联名账户里. All your bills, vacations, and general spending get paid from this common account. 它可以提供一种伙伴关系, yet could lead to frustration or arguments if spending guidelines aren’t set or followed by the other partner.

如果您决定完成完全合并, it’s also important to decide which accounts you’ll keep open and which ones to close. A great option is to open completely new accounts altogether. 寻找一个开始的地方? Explore our 高息支票 and 氦储蓄账户 以我们最好的利率. Don’t forget to set up online access and request debit cards for yourself and your spouse, plus move all automated payments over to your new accounts.

订阅管理

You might have bills you were paying on your own that you should now combine. Take a look at these items and discuss which ones you need to cancel or consolidate:

• 手机套餐
• 家公用事业
• 健身卡
• 互联网服务提供商
• 音乐和视频流媒体服务

处理债务

One of the keys to building a successful financial relationship is to address and make a plan for debt. 你们每人付自己的钱好吗? 你愿意把你的债务合并吗? Will you choose to pay more toward the larger debts first? This line of questioning is a critical step to transparency with your spouse and crafting a thoughtful strategy. Need advice? Our 处理债务 article provides guidance for paying down what you already owe and avoiding more debt in the future.

了解消费模式

Maybe you’ve been earning and spending money on your own for years. Now it’s important to share your personal approaches to handling money with your partner. Does one of you love spending while the other loves saving? It’s best to set mutually agreeable guidelines and encourage your partner to be honest with you about their spending. Need advice? Our 削减开支 article covers tactics for gaining a more complete understanding of your spending patterns.

一起纳税

夫妻可以共同报税，也可以单独报税. Consider both and speak with a tax advisor or use tax software to better understand which option is best for your personal situation. 在很多情况下，共同申请是最合理的. However, 基于你的特殊情况, 可能有理由考虑单独申请, such as:

独立的财务状况: If you prefer to keep your financial business and matters your own, 您可以选择单独归档.

医学扣除: 根据你的个人收入, it may be beneficial to file separately for greater medical deductions.

学生贷款: Deciding if you will file separately or jointly can have an impact on the amount of your student loan payments, so consult an advisor to understand these tax implications. 

规划在一起

You and your spouse surely have shared aspirations for the future, 所以提前计划好这些是很重要的!

专业的建议

Planning to spend your entire life together likely means you’ll need to prepare similar goals for retirement. One of the best ways to navigate bringing your 退休计划 together or understanding the differences between your two strategies is to meet with a certified financial advisor. Bringing a third-party perspective into the conversation will provide you with objective guidance that can spark future-oriented conversations between you and your significant other.

Need advice? The team at 元素财富管理 offers complimentary consultations and can provide expert advice on investing, 退休计划, 为教育储蓄, 在其他金融话题中.

更新的受益者

You’ll probably want to update the beneficiary on your life insurance, 退休计划, annuities, 和个人退休账户上写明你新配偶的名字. It’s best to wait until you are officially married to complete this process since you’ll want to update your new married name or your spouse’s at the same time, if applicable.

有问题? 我们的专家在这里为您提供支持. Contact Elements for support with all aspects of your financial journey.

This information is provided for informational purposes only. 它不构成法律、税务或财务建议. Consult with your tax, legal or financial adviser before taking any action.