How to Talk With Your Spouse About Money & Investing

This recent Marketwatcharticle gotme wondering: how do you folks handle the delicate business of talking aboutmoney and investing with your better half?I’m a lucky man for many reasons, particularly in this area.My wife Courtney and I are both very comfortable with frank talk about money –always have been, in fact. We both grew up in families where our parents feltit was important to tell us (and showus) how money, budgeting and investing worked, from a very young age. It stillmakes me smile to recall the trip to the store with my Dad to buy thestereo system I had saved up for with my neighborhood lawn-mowing earnings – Iwas 14 years old then. By talking honestly about money in our house, we demystifiedit – which proved smart for multiple reasons. It was easy to discuss the subjectbecause it was so naturally educational. My understanding of money and financesdeepened as my access to money increased. As we all know, more money equalsgreater complication – but I always felt well-prepared to learn whatever Ineeded to next to support my financial goals. Courtney’s experiences growing upwere very similar. So it didn’t take much to get us talking and in sync as acouple.Still, I get that it’s difficult to broach these subjects ifyou weren’t raised to feel comfortable with it. Our friends include a lot offinancial-services types, so as a group they probably skew unusuallycomfortable with talking turkey about investing. But even so, I have severalfriends who get the willies approaching the topic with their aging parents,say. I also know a few folks where one person in the couple controls thefinances so completely, the other seems clearly in the dark. That situation canget ugly later, particularly if they split up – and as we all know, money isthe #1 reason marriages go south.What tips have you found helpful to keep lines ofcommunication open about money with your loved ones?Be Good,Don MontanaroCEO, TradeKing Groupwww.tradeking.com

Follow Don on Twitter and hone your skills at TradeKing All-Stars. You can alsofollow TradeKing on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or YouTube.

[image: couple by Graham Fletcher on Flickr]

Investments involve risk, losses may exceed the principalinvested, and the past performance of a security, industry, sector, market, orfinancial product does not guarantee future results or returns. TradeKingprovides self-directed investors with discount brokerage services, and does notmake recommendations or offer investment, financial, legal or tax advice. Youalone are responsible for evaluating the merits and risks associated with theuse of TradeKing's systems, services or products. If you have additionalquestions regarding your taxes, please visit IRS.gov or consult a taxprofessional. TradeKing is unable to provide any tax advice.TradeKing is not affiliated with, does not sponsor, is not sponsored by, doesnot endorse, and is not endorsed by the companies mentioned above or any oftheir affiliated companies.At the time of publication and in the preceding month, TradeKing and/or DonatoMontanaro did not have ownership greater than 1% in any stocks mentioned; didnot have any other actual, material conflict of interest known at the time ofpublication; have not received compensation from a public offering nor frominvestment banking services related to any companies mentioned within the past12 months, nor expect to receive any in the next 3 months; nor engaged inmarket making in the securities mentioned.© 2016 TradeKing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Securities offered throughTradeKing Securities, LLC, member FINRA and SIPC. TradeKing Group, Inc. is nota broker-dealer.