| Did you know that 43% of all married couples argue | | | | financial expert cited in The Marriage Medics, future |
| over money issues, making it the major reason | | | | arguments over finances can be avoided by simply |
| couples fight? If you and your spouse handle money | | | | communicating, creating an understanding of |
| differently, now is the time to talk, establish | | | | expectations, setting objectives and agreeing on a |
| expectations, and draw up a financial plan.Money is a | | | | financial roadmap.The Marriage Medics outlines the |
| very big part of a marriage. Having enough to spend, | | | | following financial plan of attack for couples of any |
| and to do the things each wants to do, is important to | | | | age:1. Stop living beyond your means.2. Treat the |
| both parties. When couples are not able to do that, | | | | household like a business.3. Create an |
| then other issues pop up in the relationship. When | | | | income-and-expense statement.4. Create a balance |
| husband and wife are not on the same page as far as | | | | sheet.5. Create a budget.6. Figure out how to pay |
| family finances go, other difficulties inevitably | | | | down your debt. Agree on a plan of action in which |
| arise.Effective communication often emerges as the | | | | you both share equally in cutbacks.7. Find ways to cut |
| most difficult obstacle to establishing goals and | | | | expenses.8. Go on a debt diet starting with the little |
| expectations, and developing a financial plan. Many of | | | | stuff.9. Have only one credit card for your entire |
| us have been taught during childhood that discussing | | | | family.10. Celebrate when you pay off a debt.There |
| money is somehow inappropriate. Couples must | | | | are many resources for help in creating family budgets |
| understand that it is not only appropriate but absolutely | | | | and living within them. For instance, Jim Miller, a |
| necessary to managing finances in a marriage. Just as | | | | Registered Investment Advisor, author of Retire Dollar |
| finances must be planned in a business, they must also | | | | Smart, and the host of a financial advice radio show is |
| be planned in a marriage. You must communicate in | | | | an excellent source. Visit his web site at: In sum, |
| spite of any difficulty.For example, how do you get | | | | married couples have an important opportunity to plant |
| your spouse to understand that he or she will need to | | | | the seeds for a healthy marriage by simply talking with |
| curb their spending habits so that you both can begin | | | | each other, being realistic about expectations, and |
| putting money away?There s got to be a viable | | | | making that financial plan. Money matters!Copyright |
| agreement, because most couples discover that a | | | | 2005 Cynthia CooperNOTE: You may run this article |
| lack of money, a lack of spending control, or a lack of | | | | provided you run it with the bio box intact. Please email |
| fall-back savings eventually causes other problems in a | | | | a copy of your publication with article in it to Cynthia |
| marriage. Little things grow into much bigger things. | | | | Cooper, Ph.D. |
| However, as emphasized by Daniel Smith a noted | | | | |