Rule #9 Spousal Financial Compatibility is VERY Important.

"It takes two to make a marriage a success 

and only one to make it a failure." - Herbert Samuel

There is a married couple in our circle of friends who are definitely NOT financially compatible, and their marriage has almost ended in divorce a few times. They both have reasonably good paying employment, but he is a spender and she is a saver.  It has caused a lot of friction between the two of them.  Both of their credit ratings were shot because he didn't pay the family bills on time.  She basically had to take complete control over the couple's finances to make sure they didn't end up in the poor house, and now he resents her for controlling all of the money.  It certainly is not a great situation.

It's pretty important to find a life-partner who shares the same values as you do with respect to money.  This may sound like something your Uncle Jack says to you, and then you brush him off as some old fart who doesn't know what he's talking about.... Old People... What do they know about love anyway?  The fact is, whether you like it or not, finances will play a huge part of the day-to-day operations of a household, and you better make sure that you are both on the same page or it can kill the mood (if you know what I mean).

Money issues is one of the top 5 reasons couples split up, so it's pretty important.  If one of you is a saver and the other is a spender, and there is no agreed upon financial plan in place, it can be really hard for a couple to be pointed in the same direction to achieve your financial goals.  We look at OUR relationship as being similar to jointly owning a business called Fraser Holdings.  We both do what's right for the 'business' so our family can become more financially stable and meet our long-term needs.  Most people would never enter a business relationship with someone who spends the company money like a drunken sailor, so why do people not make sure they are in alignment when getting hitched or shacking up?