Don't Let Money Fights Turn Your Honeymoon Into Divorce Court
Money is the No. 1 source of conflict for couples, so before you walk down the aisle, have a serious conversation with your mate about how you're paying for the reception.
Marriage
My Abusive Marriage Destroyed Me -- and My Finances
Everyone talks about the physical aspect of domestic abuse, but thereĀ's more to it. Leslie Morgan Steiner's ex-husband left her not only battered, but nearly bankrupt.
Will Echo Boomers Save the Economy? Don't Count on It
Some economists predict that Echo Boomers will save America's economic future: They're well-educated, optimistic and young. But there are big obstacles standing in their way.
Will Cupid's Arrow Stick You With a Higher Tax Bill?
It's hard to think of a less romantic topic than tax planning. But if Valentine's Day happens to bring a proposal, you might want to know a bit more about some of the financial consequences of you and your honey tying the knot.
How to Do Your Taxes if You're a Same Sex Married Couple
2012 was a banner year for the gay marriage movement, but there's still a shadow hanging over the celebrations of those victories: In the eyes of the federal government, couples in legal same-sex marriages are still single. Here's how that affects their taxes.
Lies and Debt Situations: When Couples Keep Money Secrets
Financial counselors aren't marriage counselors, but when it comes to couples' spats over hidden debt and secret spending, they're often helping people deal with some heavy emotional baggage along with the hefty credit card bills.
6 Myths Couples Should Stop Believing About Joint Bank Accounts
Setting up a joint bank account is a pretty standard move for most couples, but things start to get a little dicey when it comes to credit cards. Many consumers are confused about what happens to their credit when they get married. Here are some of the most widely-held myths.
Is Obama a Socialist? In 2012, Millions Went to the Dictionary to Find Out
Election-year politics evidently put some strain on Americans' vocabularies in 2012. The two most looked-up words of the year in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary were "socialism" and "capitalism," followed closely by "democracy," "marriage" and "bigotry."
The Nobel in Economics: How It's Already Improved Our Lives
Ever heard of "The theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design?" Yeah, us neither. But besides being the work that earned the 2012 Nobel Prize in Economics for Americans Alvin E. Roth and Lloyd S. Shapley last week, it%u2019s also something that affects your daily life.
The Real Reason to Adjust Your Tax Withholding
If you just got a big tax refund, most experts will say you'd be better off adjusting your withholding. But lately, that traditional advice hasn't really applied.
1 in 4 Spouses Is Willing to Cheat ... Financially
Your sweetheart may be keeping a big secret from you, and it's not that there's some other guy or gal. It's the truth about their money. According to new poll from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, 24% of respondents wouldn't tell their spouse if they were experiencing financial difficulties.
Celebrity Marriages: They Should Have Gotten the Prenup
"To leave hundreds of millions of dollars vulnerable does not seem like a wise choice," says one matrimonial lawyer. Still, many of the rich and famous keep heading down the aisle without a prenup. It's a choice some eventually live to regret.
'Divorce Starts': A Leading Indicator for Home Sales?
While not everyone whose marriage ends rushes out to break ground on a new home, some real estate agents say divorcing spouses make up at least a third of their clients. With the economy impacting divorce trends and marital splits pushing spending trends, should economists be watching divorce rates when they chart the economic outlook?
My Three Cents: Family Finances, Divorce, Depression
In DailyFinance's new video series, My Three Cents, personal finance columnist Regina Lewis discusses tips and trends affecting today's consumer market. This week's focus: family finances, divorce and depression.
Elder Abuse: How to Keep Grandma Safe From Con Men
Who would pick the pocket of your grandma or grandpa? Apparently, a lot of people: Older Americans are losing $2.9 billion annually to elder financial abuse, up 12% from 2008, according to The MetLife Study of Elder Financial Abuse. Here's how to protect your older relatives from becoming victims.
The Six Demographic Characteristics Of Divorce
Divorce is a common affair in America today, but it hits some groups harder than others. Yes, race can be a factor -- but far more telling is financial status, among other things. For answers, 24/7 Wall Street digs into the Census Bureau%u2019s May report, Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2009.
Cut Wedding Costs With the Help of Friends, Family
In 2009, just over two million American couples pledged their eternal troth to each other, and spent more than $40 billion doing it. If the average $24,000-plus cost of a wedding feels steep to you, consider saving some cash and making the day even more special by getting friends and family involved.
Five Tips on Planning a Prenup Before You Say 'I Do'
Modern couples are bringing more assets into their marriages -- and more liabilities too including credit card debt, student loans and mortgages. It may be unromantic, and the subject of a prenuptial agreement is fraught with emotional peril, but here's why it's worth discussing.
Can Economic Theories Save Your Marriage?
Economic theories have long helped investors improve their portfolios, but can they also help improve your marriage? A new book called Spousonomics: Using Economics to Master Love, Marriage and Dirty Dishes, argues the answer is yes.
Heading for a Divorce? Tally and Appraise Your Assets
Except for child custody matters, dealing with the division of assets is always the main area of stress during divorce proceedings. But you can take concrete steps that will take at least some of the pain out of the process, as Part Two of our series explains.
Heading for a Divorce? First, Get Your Finances in Order
Even in a "friendly" divorce, both parties must make sure they're doing everything possible to protect their financial futures. But people in the midst of a divorce often don't know where to start. In this three-part series, we'll take you through the five key steps. Here's Part One.
Another Victim of the Great Recession: Child Support Payments
These payments fell in 2009 for first time in the U.S. in more than three decades, and while the official government report for fiscal 2010 won't be out for months, it's likely that it, too, saw that downward trend continue. Stubbornly high unemployment is the primary culprit.
Heavy Student Loans Put a Damper on Family Life
It's a sad truth: Debt forces people into choices they'd rather not make. A survey conducted by Sallie Mae subsidiary Nellie Mae found that 21% of student borrowers had delayed having children because of their loans, and 14% delayed getting married because of their student debt loads.
