Plan an evening, sans romance, for the two of you to sit down and have an earnest dialogue about finances. That helps to avoid running into a conflict later that's only resolved by stamping one's feet. We hope our suggestions will help you arrive at the best joint decisions possible.

Unconditional love-Does that mean money too?

It's important to have a clear picture of each other's financial condition before marriage. Past financial problems and gains follow you into marriage. Spending habits and values differ depending on how you were raised or what you've experienced financially since leaving the nest. It pays to sort these issues through first. This way there'll be no unpleasant surprises later. First, check your assets! For example, do one or both of you own:

• Savings accounts
• Stocks and bonds
• Cars
• Furniture
• Animals
• Real estate
• The jitters

If the answer is yes to any one of these questions, you basically have three options:

• Keep them under individual ownership
• Have joint ownership
• Liquidate your assets and start fresh

If you choose to maintain individual ownership of some or all of your assets, you'll want to address this individual ownership in a pre-nuptial agreement. If you want to toss everything you own into one pot, you may consider selling off duplicate assets depending on your financial goals. Our Millionaire Planner calculator will help you understand what it takes to achieve financial independence.

If a home, a horse, or a wagon are on you list of wants for the future, and you haven't yet got the finances to buy, use our Saving for a Goal calculator to help determine what you need to save.

It's also common for newly married folks to consolidate a number of expenses:

• Insuring both cars under the same policy can achieve multi-car deductions. Many companies offer discounts when you're insuring more than one car. The discounts run deeper if you're also insuring your personal property—your home—with the same insurance company.
• Forecast your transportation needs. If your need for multiple cars is eliminated because of marriage, it might be the right time to sell. Keeping vs. Selling will help you determine what the best time is for turning your vehicles over or in.
• Filing joint tax returns will change your tax status. The impact, whether positive or negative, depends upon your combined income.
• Sharing interest-bearing joint checking and savings accounts will compound your interest more quickly.

It's not unusual for newlyweds to plan to buy their own home. Joint ownership of homes and/or real estate involves preparation. Go to "What house can I afford?" to determine what you can afford together, and be sure to move to "How much will my payments be?" to get a read on your monthly mortgage payment.

One of the benefits of being married is the ability to pool your financial power. It's easier for two people to combine their incomes to make a payment than for one person to foot the entire bill. The following sites offer the ins and outs of financing the basic start-up expenses for newlyweds:

• Buying a Car – Advice on buying or leasing the best new or used car for the least amount of money
• Buying a Home – Advice about the best house at the best value in the best location
• Credit Guide –Advice on the least expensive and most intelligent way to use credit as your prime financing tool

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Now that we're joined does that mean joint?

Should we pool our liabilities once we're married?

It's not unusual for two people to enter holy matrimony with loan or credit obligations. Each one of you may be making payments on one or more of the following:

• School loans
• Cars
• Homes
• Credit cards
• Medical or dental bills
• Business debts
• Attorney's fees

Before you marry, do the math. Calculate what your individual obligations are. Now add them together. That will give you good insight into the bottom line of marriage. Use our Payoff Debt vs Investing calculator to determine if it's best for you to pay off the debt or invest in savings – or both. Another option available to you is debt consolidation of your credit cards. Our Credit Card Consolidator will help you determine if that's the right step.

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Are we dreaming or is this our dream wedding?

She wants a big wedding and I want new wheels!

• It's easier to decide on the size and type of your wedding when fewer people are involved in the decision-making process. It's probably best for you and your betrothed to discuss those decisions before you share your plans with the rest of the family and your friends. Weddings can cost more than you expect. But curiously, many of us come to the engagement table with firm ideas about how we want our wedding day to be…guys too. Combining your individual dreams into a single plan is the first of many comprises you'll make along the path of marriage. Use our Wedding Budget worksheet to factor potential costs and your assets. We've got money-saving tips as well, provided by Princess Caroline of Newark. Manage your money properly, and not only will you have the perfect wedding but you can have the honeymoon of your dreams as well. Make your flight reservations today on expedia.com.

For more information buy

Money Before Marriage by Larry Burkett with Michael E. Taylor

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