Finance and Relationships: 5 Money Questions You Need to Ask Your Partner
10 Jun 2022
You and your partner have been discussing the idea of marriage for a while now. Before you say “I do” there is one more important thing you need to talk about.
Your finances.
Laying the money questions out on the table is never fun but it has to be done. It’s important that you understand how each of you handles money in order to plan your future together and avoid as much conflict as possible.
Not sure what questions to ask your partner? We can help you get the discussion going. Keep reading for a few big things you should ask your significant other.
1. What Are Your Financial Goals?
Asking your partner what their financial goals are is the perfect way to open up discussion on the money topic. It’s a broad question that will give you both a better idea of how you’re going to support both of your short-term and long-term goals.
It will also give you a glimpse into the future. You’ll be able to see what their ideal housing situation looks like, whether or not they want children, and how they want to live in general.
2. What’s Your Debt Situation?
Dating a guy with financial problems isn’t always a deal-breaker but for some people, it is. After all, once you marry someone their debt will also become your debt. It’s good to know the level of debt you’ll be working with.
Ask them if they are taking any action to sort out their debt or if they have any plans to start paying it off at all. If they’re taking the “if I ignore it, it will go away” approach, you may want to reconsider your relationship a bit.
3. What Does Your Leisure Spending Look Like?
If you’re tight with money and your partner is loose with it, conflicts will rise up eventually. If your significant other has an expensive hobby, it may get on your nerves that they’re spending so much on it.
That’s why you talk about it from the beginning. If you’re already prepared for the amount of leisure cash they’ll be spending on the things they love, it won’t be such a big deal later.
4. Are You Planning on Going Back to School?
Graduate school is a worthwhile endeavor but it’s an expensive one. It’s good to know if your significant other is planning to go back to school so you can prep for it.
They may have to live on your income for a bit while they’re attending school and that’s okay but it’s something that’s nice to know beforehand.
5. How Are We Going to Manage Our Finances Together?
We’ve talked quite a bit about “you” but not “we”. If your relationship is going to work out, you’ll need to know how you’ll be managing your finances together as a couple. For example, will you be splitting utility payments?
Important Money Questions to Ask Your Partner
Before you and your partner commit to forever it’s important to ask each other the big money questions. If you don’t discuss spending habits, debt, and other big financial plans ahead of time, it may cause some unforeseen surprises that can lead to a devastating argument.
Keeping track of your finances as a couple will save tons of headaches later. We can help with that. Go here to get started on our online investment process.
