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Getting married? Six steps in financial planning for newlyweds.

Getting married? Congratulations! Your future spouse will be your business partner as well as your life partner. Your credit, good name, and financial future will be tied to this person, who may not hold the same beliefs about money that you do. Talking about money is difficult for anyone, and it may seem like a romance-killer. But it is a good test of your relationship. An honest discussion about finances before the wedding can help avoid one of the biggest causes of stress after the wedding. Here are six ways to help you confide in each other and create a financial plan:

1. Know your partner's spending habits

greenKarat/PRNewsFoto/File
Eco Wedding Rings by greenKarat are on display in this 2008 file photo. If you're getting married, the first step is to look into each other's financial closets. Find out about your future spouse's bills, debts, and spending habits.

  • By Bill Hardekopf Contributor

Once you decide you're getting married, find out how your future spouse will treat money. A free spender before marriage will probably be a free spender after marriage. Ask about their regular indulgences.

Reveal everything in your respective financial closets. Be honest about your income, debts, and money problems. Bring out your bank statements from the past 12 months to show what you did with your money. Explain your strengths and weaknesses with money. Admit if you are a spender or a saver.

If your partner has been married before, find out about his or her financial obligations to the ex-spouse and children.

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