The Couple S Guide To Love And Money

We all have expectations about how to spend money, where it should come from, how much is needed for financial security, how important it is, and whether or not we can trust other people to be responsible about money. When these expectations come up against a partner's competing ideas, serious trouble can result. Money conflict is, after all, the most common factor cited as grounds for divorce. This practical and insightful guide helps you and your partner understand your individual money personalities. Its techniques will teach you to successfully negotiate and communicate about money, merge your money management styles, and implement the right money management techniques to achieve financial freedom together.

Over 90 percent of couples experience some level of tension around money. In fact, money issues are the number one stressor in relationships. So many books try to fix the surface problems, such as how to budget and what to prioritize when it comes to finances, but the issues go much deeper than just a simple spreadsheet. How do men and women view money differently? What do most couples fight about? How can they get on the same page? What questions should men/women ask their significant others before marriage? There are emotional and spiritual components to finances that most couples ignore. How can you agree on a budget if you disagree with each other on the basic purpose of money? Thriving in Love and Money is based on original research Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn have conducted to get to the heart of these issues. And just as they did with their bestselling books For Women Only and For Men Only, they will use this research to provide the answers and insights you need to break the tension and provide the unity you're looking for. Let this book deepen your understanding of each other, leading to clear communication, peace as a couple, and better financial decision-making. Also available: video curriculum and workbook.

Money and relationships can be messy. Couples aren't taught how to talk about money, but more than that, they aren't taught that money isn't just about numbers. Our beliefs, values, experiences, and emotions all play a huge role in how we view and handle money. Getting in sync with their partner is the first step toward having good conversations about money. However, that's made even more difficult by the fact that men and women often handle money differently. Best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn has spent years researching the differences between men and women and now partners with brightpeak, a division of Thrivent Financial--a not-for-profit, Christian member-owned Fortune-500 company with a unique approach to relationships and money--to help couples strengthen their relationships and communicate more effectively about their finances. Backed by in-depth research and full of expert advice, this dynamic six-week program gives couples the tools to: · Fight & Stress Less: Diffuse tension when talking about finances · Gain Appreciation: Truly understand differences--and their partner's thinking--around money · Get Aligned: Foster goodwill, intimacy, and financial unity in their relationship · Take Action, Together: Make more informed financial decisions together · Thrive in Love & Money: Get their finances--and relationship--on track for a brighter future The program includes six video sessions, approximately 20-30 minutes each, that introduce a key relationship component, how it applies to money, and what a couple can do about it. To go along with the videos, the kit also includes "His" and "Hers" guidebooks for couples, filled with activities, reflections, and even optional devotionals to help them get the most from the experience.

Your Guide to Managing the Real Dollars—and the Real Emotions—of Your Relationship Too often with money, couples face two choices: fight and risk making the situation worse, or keep quiet and risk making the situation worse. Financially Ever After offers a third option: family financial fluency—the insight, knowledge, and vocabulary every couple needs to communicate effectively about money. Jeff D. Opdyke, previously The Wall Street Journal's syndicated "Love & Money" columnist, covers any and all financial issues that couples face, including budgeting, deciding on whether to have joint or individual accounts, dividing up family financial chores, confronting debt, making major purchases, as well as handling mortgages, employment, children, and even engagement rings. He offers dozens of real-life scenarios between couples, with scripts and suggestions for how to broach delicate money-related subjects with your significant other, whether he or she has a shaky credit history or is feeling left out of family financial decision-making. The book also provides helpful tools to organize your financial life, such as a budgeting chart, a "scorecard" to track spending, and an "affordability calculator" to help you figure out how much buying a house will cost you. A must-read for any couple starting out, Financially Ever After lays the groundwork for building a healthy and thriving financial life together.

This hip and accessible guide addresses all of the nagging money questions and thorny situations that come up when you're in a relationship, whether you're just starting to get serious or you're already married. This book gives couples the perfect excuse to break the silence and start talking about… money! Staying on top of your finances when you're single can be tough enough - add another person to the mix and it can seem downright daunting. Even if you've got your own finances in order, there are inevitable money issues that come up when you're part of a couple, not just because one of you may be in better shape financially than the other, but because you may each have very different perspectives on money and how to manage it. The principles the Cookies set out in their first book about the basics of life planning and investing can work for couples, too, and this guide offers simple techniques that will help readers with everything from dealing with "money baggage" to getting out of debt to planning for retirement. Again they draw practical advice and meaty anecdotes from their own financial escapades, as well as readers' queries and the personal experiences of five focus couples.

"The financial decisions we make in our lives are sometimes not the easiest to discuss but have long-lasting effects. [Opdyke's advice] has opened the door in my relationship to conversations that were a long time coming." -Josh, regular reader of Opdyke's "Love & Money" column, Florida Real answers to real questions about money and relationships: * I have too much debt and my credit isn't very good. How can I fix my financial problems? And how do I break the news to my boyfriend? * How do I teach my kids the value of money, when my parents shower them with expensive gifts? * My wife makes more money than I do, does that give her a greater voice in our financial decisions? Are we still equal? * How much should I give my child in allowance? And will it really help him learn the value of a dollar? * We want to have our first baby, but we don't know if we can afford it yet. How much money do we really need to have in the bank? If you're like most people, you're struggling with questions like these. Whether we like it or not, money makes a big difference in the choices we make and the lives we lead. Unresolved questions about money can put unwanted stress on even the healthiest relationships-between spouses, between parents and children, and even between friends. In Love & Money, columnist Jeff Opdyke offers practical personal finance advice, as well as strategies for dealing with touchy financial topics-so that money doesn't end up costing you something even more valuable.

Financial problems exact a toll on any couple. Long before you realize you are living well beyond your means, the burden of debt wreaks havoc in your life. Invariably, a basic lack of communication about money is to blame. This is where Certified Financial Planner Jeff Motske saves the day. Motske's financial services firm has helped tens of thousands of couples nationwide find happiness in love and money. The Couple's Guide to Financial Compatibility is the book to read now in order to avoid break-ups, divorce, or shelling out thousands of dollars in therapy later. It's filled with vital tips to help anyone at any relationship stage achieve financial freedom. Following a logical progression from combining finances to retirement planning, Motske gives you the tools you need to keep your finances healthy and the bond with your loved one strong. In an easy-to-follow style, this guide is organized around the questions partners need to ask each other, including: How do we align our goals and expectations? What do we need to discuss as a couple before we begin investing? What if one of us loses our job? Can we afford to have kids? What's the best way to teach our kids about money? What's the best way to get our kids through college? How do we take care of our kids and our parents at the same time? Do we have enough money saved up to retire? and over 100 more