Posts Tagged ‘money communication’

6 Tips to Confirm Your Spouse is a Good Money Match

Monday, April 11th, 2011

This Money Couple Minute we are going to give you excerpts from a featured US News and World Report article. Many points (2-6) were written by Karen Palmer (no relation) and highlight steps to improving your money compatibility from yours truly…The Money Couple! We are excited to be getting an incredible amount of National TV, Radio and Web coverage as we educate couples around the world about the importance of “Love and Money” or in other words, having a good financial relationship.

Remember… we have “ask The Money Couple” available for you. If you have any financial relationship questions, just click here and we will personally answer them for you.

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

Engaged? 20 Questions to Bring Love and Money Together

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

Your engagement brings with it a truly special time in your relationship.  You are filled with hope and excitement as you plan your wedding and think about your future together.  This is also the time when you start dreaming about the life you’re going to build — where you’ll live, what kind of family you might have, what kind of adventures you’ll have, and how you’ll handle your money as a couple.

If one of those things doesn’t seem to fit with the others, well, you’re not alone.  We find that in all the fun and emotion of being engaged, money conversations often get left out.  And we get that — talking about finances doesn’t seem very romantic and if you’re not used to it, it might not be a lot of fun.  But talking about the way you look at money differently is as essential to your life together as talking about kids or sex or houses.

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

3 Reasons A Spouse Won’t Talk About Money

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

You might not realize it, but nearly every decision you make on a given day involves money. You decide if you’re going to make your morning coffee or grab something at the local coffee shop. You drive to work or take public transportation, pack a lunch or order out. The way you and your partner communicate about those little decisions – and the big ones too! – is called your financial relationship. And if you’re like most couples, your financial relationship can always use some help.

There are three main reasons a spouse won’t talk about money and therefore hurting the financial relationship: one person may have always been the “financial manager” in the relationship, one may be disinterested in the finances or one may have made a mistake with the finances in the past. Here’s how to overcome these hurdles:

  1. “Because I am the financial manager in the relationship”:In most relationships, there’s one person who is either better at dealing with money…
    Solution: If you’re the money manager in your relationship, it’s time to share the load. (more…)
  2. “Because my spouse is disinterested in the finances”:Everyone has what we call a Money Personality. One of those Money Personalities is called the Flyer…
    Solution: Flyers often disengage from money talk because it overwhelms them. They tend to be… (more…)
  3. “Because my spouse made mistakes with money in the past”:When one person in a relationship has had bad luck with money…
    Solution:
    Whether you’re the one who’s made financial mistakes or your spouse is, the way to get past it… (more…)

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

Planning for Retirement: Three Essentials Every Couple Needs to Know

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Whether you’re 25 or 55, it’s not too early – or too late – to think about your retirement. If you want a retirement filled with fun, travel, or just some peace and quite, you need to start planning. Now. Planning for retirement demands healthy financial communication. Financial communication is at the core of your financial relationship – Your financial relationship is the way you, as a couple, make decisions where money is involved. Your financial relationship touches every part of your life together and that’s especially true when it comes to planning for retirement.* Your plans will likely involve some changes in how you save and spend money, as well as some solid conversations about what you want your future to look like. By developing stronger financial communication skills, the two of you can tackle those changes and conversations as true partners.  Here are three keys to talking about retirement as a couple:

Essential #1:What you choose to talk about TODAY directly impacts your future together.

Essential #2:Remember that we all view retirement through a different lens.

Essential #3: Think of retirement as a moving target.

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

Five Money Relationship Mistakes and Solutions: Part 2

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Agreeing on Giving

In our last Money Couple Minute, we talked about the money relationship mistakes couples make. There is a financial component to almost every decision we make as a couple – let’s learn how to make the financial communication the best so your financial relationship will be the best. This week, we’ll talk you through the solutions that can get your financial relationship back on track.

Mistake #1: Letting curiosity die out
Solution: Get to know each other all over again

Mistake #2: Worrying
Solution: Commit to a Money Huddle

Mistake #3: Giving up
Solution: Learn to fight FAIR

Mistake #4: Keeping money secrets
Solution: Put an end to financial infidelity

Mistake #5: Letting go of hope
Solution: Hold on to hope

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

Five Money Mistakes That Ruin Relationships: Part 1

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

How to Have a Great Money Relationship in 2011

When we talk about your financial relationship, we’re not just talking about those moments when you and your partner sit down to pay bills or balance the checkbook or tally up receipts. We’re talking about the ways money decisions filter in to every part of your lives. That means that the way each of you thinks about money, talks about money, and deals with money will have an impact on everything from your grocery bill to your sex life.

That’s why it’s essential for couples to develop healthy financial communication skills. Part of doing that is knowing how to avoid some common pitfalls when in comes to money. This week is Part I of a two part series. We’re going to cover some of the financial mistakes couples make and ask you to think about how they might be affecting your relationship. Part II will give you solutions to these five money mistakes.

Mistake #1: Letting curiosity die out

Mistake #2: Worrying

Mistake #3: Giving up

Mistake #4: Keeping money secrets

Mistake #5: Letting go of hope

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

Make it Happen!

The Money Couple
Scott & Bethany Palmer

4 Ways to Agree on Tipping and How Much to Spend on Gifts

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

The 5 Resolutions You Don't Want To Make

When we first got married, Scott had been working as a waiter. He lived off of his tips and knew other waiters depended on them, too. I, on the other hand, had never worked in the food industry and didn’t think much about tips beyond adding a standard 15% to my bill. The first time I watched Scott give our server an incredibly generous tip, I was stunned. That was “our” money he was handing out!

Scott is still a generous tipper but now we know we need to talk about money, not just assume the other person feels the same way about it we do. We have noticed that gift giving throughout the year can bring real tension to a relationship especially if one person is a Spender and the other a Saver. That’s why financial communication is so important in a relationship.

[Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

5 Ways to Jump Start Your Financial Communication in 2011

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Teaching Your Children to Give

‘‘Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.’’ – Maria Robinson

We don’t always think about the ways our financial situation impacts our lives. Sure, it makes a difference in the house we live in or the car we drive, but it really trickles into even the most mundane decisions – the kind of cereal we eat, the kind of shoes we wear, the kind of coffee we drink.

That’s why a lack of financial communication skills can be so devastating to a relationship – when money affects everything, not knowing how to talk about money affects everything, too.

The New Year is the perfect time to bring new life into your financial relationship. [Read the Complete Money Couple Minute HERE]

Can Your Relationship Handle a Money Nag?

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

Nagging. We all do it, whether it’s a little reminder about picking up his laundry, a subtle mention that she still hasn’t paid that bill, a nightly hint about washing the dishes. Being on the receiving end of another person’s persistent fault-finding always feels lousy. That’s especially true when it comes to nagging about finances.

Read the entire Money Couple Minute “Can Your Relationship Handle a Money Nag“.

Can Your Relationship Survive a Layoff? Four Steps to Success!

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

“We’re sorry, we have to let you go.” Those dreaded words from your boss mean more than the loss of a job. They mean the major shift in your way of life. For many couples, that shift brings with it heavy-duty strain – on their finances and their relationship.

But a layoff doesn’t have to ruin your bank account or your marriage. With healthy financial communication and a realistic approach to moving forward, you can survive this difficult time. Here’s how:

  1. Put emotions in their place.
  2. Dive into your new job.
  3. Avoid assumptions.
  4. Rethink your roles.

Read the entire Money Couple Minute “Can Your Relationship Survive a Layoff” and get the complete details around the 4 points to success.

View the Video for this weeks Money Couple Minute on Surviving a Layoff
ABC News - Can Your Relationship Survive a Layoff