Till Cash Do Us Part

Here's a short but important reminder about money and relationships from Marketwatch:
 
Some loving couples would rather share a toothbrush than a bank book. But if you plan to be with your mate for the long-term, sharing your basic financial information is as important as sharing your health history.

At least once a year, you and your mate should talk about what you owe, what you're spending on and what are your future financial goals.

An easy way to have this conversation is to start by making or updating lists of what you own and owe, separately or in common.

You should know the names, email addresses and phone and fax numbers of the financial professionals in your mate's life. They include any stockbroker, accountant, banker, attorney, insurance agent and financial planner.

Then there are the lists of your assets. They include all real estate, bank and brokerage accounts, cars and boats, precious jewelry, works of art and insurance policies.

Keep your lists in the same secure place where you store your wills, property deeds and your marriage license, if you have one.

I'm a big advocate of financial discussion and transparency in a relationship. To view some other articles on this topic, see:

• The Five Mistakes Married Women Make
• Money and Marriage: Five Remedies for Couples who Argue About Money
• Financial Compatibility Quiz
• Comments: Money and Marriage Vows

Comments

[Hazzard]

I highly agree that you have to share this information. My wife and I have joint accounts and all my income goes in to these accounts. Just yesterday, I reviewed our net worth charts and income vs expenses with her. I find that this helps keep our goals in plain sight and makes sure we are both reaching for the same things.
Hazzard
http://www.everybodylovesyourmoney.com

[David]

So what do you do if your spouse isn't that interested in tracking our personal finances and instead leaves it all up to you? I like handling our finances, so I'm happy to do it. But I feel like I'm always struggling to make our finances transparent to her because she's only interested in (a) whether we have enough money, and (b) whether we're staying out of debt. Suggestions?

[Jesse]

David,
As long as you and your spouse are einverstanden with your long-term money goals, I think it's okay for one spouse to "manage" the money if it suits their fancy (abilities).
You just don't want to be heading in polar directions simultaneously (or the wrong direction together!) or you'll notice rifts developing in your relationship.
From the tone of your (short) post, it seems your spouse is pretty reasonable with money - but doesn't like worrying about the details. That's probably okay. (Unless this really bothers you, then she might need to offer a bit more support)