Financial Questions You Should Ask Before Marrying Someone

Weddings are romantic. Finances? Not so much.

Money is historically one of the most common reasons for divorce. But discussing finances can be a major romantic buzz kill. So many couples don't -- until it is too late. Your sweetheart may seem perfect now, but after a few years of his pinching pennies, wrecking your credit or draining your savings, he might not look so good. A few unromantic questions today might save a lot of pain later.

Budget

Do you have a budget? How faithful are you to your budget? If we were to have a budget, how much would you want us to spend monthly on housing, food, health care, savings, investments, clothing, travel, transportation and entertainment? If we had to cut the budget, what would you cut first? What would you add to first? What about items like a health club membership or a therapist?

Kids

If we have kids, will one of us stay home with them? Which one? How much income would we want to give up to have kids at home? If we hired a caregiver, would it be daycare or a nanny? How much would we be willing to spend per kid?

Financial Goals

What are our financial goals for five years from now? Ten years? Retirement? What steps are we willing to take to ensure that we reach those goals?

Debt

How much do you owe and to whom? What's your debt-to-credit ratio? How do you use credit cards? Do you have a lot of cards or just a few? Do you make minimum payments, pay off every month or something else? What's your credit history and score?

Splurges

What's a worthy splurge and what's a wasteful one? Would you spend money on daily $5 coffees? Expensive clothes? A sports car? A vacation?

References

• New York Times: Questions Couples Should Ask Before Marrying
• CNN: Living: Questions to Ask Before You Get Married