Helping Couples Survive Financially – Part 2

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’ts

DO break your bad debt habits before they break your
marriage.

More than a third of millennials say student loan debt
(among other kinds of debt and money issues) led to their divorce.
Considering the typical divorce today costs $15,500 and divorce attorneys
charge a common rate of $250 per hour, it pays to have good sense when
dealing with debt.

DON’T live beyond your means.

Nearly 80 percent of American workers are living
paycheck-to-paycheck with no financial cushion whatsoever and nearly three out
of four say they are in debt. A big part of the reason boils down to living
beyond our means.

DO communicate honestly about your spending habits.

Set a monthly “date” to discuss your finances together.
If you think that sounds unromantic, think of it in terms of safeguarding
your marriage against financial infidelity (such as “hiding compulsive
shopping or gambling debts”), which experts say is on the rise. More than
forty percent of American adults admit to hiding debts, accounts, and bad
spending habits from their spouse – and millennials are nearly twice as
likely to hide negative spending habits compared with other generations. 

DON’T abuse your credit.

Although it might be tempting to buy furnishings or
electronics for your new home, impulse purchases can really add up and harm
your credit down the road. Low credit scores can cost consumers tens of
thousands of dollars over the life of a loan. A good rule of thumb is to keep
your credit usage at no more than 30 percent of the credit limits on each
card.