Getting Married? Plan for a Healthy Financial Future Now

If every couple devoted as many hours to strengthening their relationship as they do to planning their wedding, U.S. marriage statistics would boast a brighter tale. The high divorce rate proves combining two lives in wedded bliss requires more than a knack for stamping a monogram atop every unembellished surface. So just what is the key to a healthy marriage? A healthy financial portfolio, apparently. Financial woes are one of the main stressors in a marriage and a primary cause of divorce.

It’s easy to see why love and money don’t always mix. Polite society has banished the subject of money, which joins religion and politics in the prohibitive club of taboo discussion topics. Commingling the concept of dirty, cold, hard cash with that of pure, virtuous love is therefore decidedly uncomfortable. Single people grow accustomed to treading the financial landscape alone during the first phase of adult life, and suddenly marriage enters the equation. But rather than addressing the financial impact of “me” becoming “we,” the topic becomes the proverbial pink elephant in the room.

In a perfect world, an honest financial discussion occurs long before the sparkling diamond adorns your left finger. But if you’ve been negligent, and you know who you are, there’s still time to lay your financial cards on the table. A wedding is often the first big ticket item for which a couple plans and saves, and it provides an obvious opportunity to bring this taboo subject into the open.Now’s the time to set a precedent for your financial future. Elegala.com's list of financial planning tips for to-be weddings offers advice on what you need to do now to avoid some of the major roadblocks confronting couples when balancing their mutual checkbook...