1. Before you marry, be honest with each other about your finances: debts, earnings and spending money.

2. Discuss money matters when you are both relaxed and not stressed.

3. Disclose the positive and negative aspects of your finances to one another.

4. Budget your joint finances to find where you can realistically lower bills and save money.

5. Seriously consider your attitudes about saving and spending money. Do not emulate patterns that you have seen others participate in.

6. Realize that you are no longer the sole decision-maker; you must make all decisions, including financial decisions, as a team.

7. Decide whether you plan to have joint or separate checking and savings accounts. Many couples have joint accounts for household expenses while maintaining personal accounts for spending, but this is a personal decision that you will need to make as a couple.

8. If one partner is particularly vulnerable to lawsuits, it may be wise to put accounts in the other partner’s name to reduce your liability and secure your assets.

9. Designate which partner will manage the finances or if it will be a joint effort.

10. It is easier to fight about money than to manage your finances, so keep trying and working together to improve your financial health as a couple.