Planning to get married soon? Don’t forget to ask these six questions to your would-be spouse before the big day.
Oh, no! It’s the wedding season, again! And, despite being amidst a pandemic, we Indians are clearly more excited about tying the knot. Right? Anyway, if you’re one among the many who’ll be getting hitched soon, you may want to read this article.
So, you’re planning to get hitched, huh? Congrats! We get it that you must be extremely busy with the preparations and stuff. But there’s something that you must do before your big day (i.e. if you don’t want to regret later) – discuss financial matters with your soon-would-be spouse.
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Don’t know where to start? Well, no worries! We’ve got it all figured out for you. Here are six questions that you must ask your would-be spouse, along with a short explanation on why you should be asking them. Hope it helps!
What’s the current state of affairs on the financial front?
Your to-be partner’s state of finances, both past and current, will have an effect on your finances in the future. For instance, if your partner is in a huge amount of debt, then it would influence your spending once you both are married. So, it is best to be aware of each other’s debts, liabilities and assets before taking the big step. We would suggest that both of you start on a clean state, i.e. clear your existing liabilities, as far as finances are concerned.
To get a joining account or not?
This, we would say, is a personal choice. But you’ve got to decide whether you’re going to maintain a joint account or keep separate accounts after getting hitched. If you aren’t comfortable with the idea of maintaining just a joint account, you could keep separate accounts. However, do open a joint account into which both of you can transfer a specified amount at fixed periods. Sounds good?
Additional Reading: Why You Should Have A Joint Account With Your Partner And An Independent Account
What about supporting each other’s families?
A bit sensitive topic here, but it’s got to be addressed. As individuals, both of you will have responsibilities and commitments towards each other’s families, right? Especially if you have retired parents and grandparents, you would want to be able to provide enough support for them financially. Talking about this and putting across each other’s views on this clearly before getting married would certainly avoid any fights on this matter later.
What are your financial goals?
As earning individuals, we all have our own set of financial goals. While it’s great if both your and your would-be spouse’s financial goals are aligned, however, it is okay to have different financial goals too. But make sure you talk about this, so each of you is aware of the other’s goals before getting married. Clarity on this front is a necessity.
Spender vs saver – are you both on the same page?
You might be the ambitious type when it comes to money. You’d want to save as much as possible, so you can have enough for your later years. However, your to-be partner may be more of a spender; someone who likes to live life in full today, without thinking much about the future. Well, to each their own, right? Yes, but when you’re going to be spending your lives together soon, it makes sense to be somewhat on the same page on expenses and savings.
Who’s going to be handling the finances?
Will you both be sharing responsibilities? Or is one of you going to make the decisions? One of you might be better at handling money than the other. In such cases, it is wise to leave the big financial decisions to the former. After all, you wouldn’t want to risk it when it comes to money matters. However it is that you want to go about handling finances post marriage, it makes sense to have a quick talk about it before marriage.
Additional Reading: Tough Money Conversations Couples Have
Summing up…
Having a heart-to-heart about finances with your would-be spouse, whether you both agree with each other’s opinions or not, is important. It not only helps you bond better, but you’ll be able to iron out any differences at the earliest too.
Additional Reading: Financial Blunders Couples Make
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