It’s not uncommon for married couples to keep their money in separate accounts, specifically checking accounts. With retirement accounts, each spouse must have their money in a separate account, including IRA’s and 401k’s, but is it ideal for a married couple to have separate checking accounts vs. a joint account, and why is this important?
Exceptions
There are some situations where funds must be kept separate, such as the case of a spouse with some sort of addiction (spending, gambling, substance) or mental issue, but this must be done to protect the family. I’m not referring to this situation.
Business Analogy
Can you imagine starting a business with a partner and then telling them that there needs to be separate accounts for the business that they bring in vs. the business that you bring in? In some cases, you may be able to know this information, but it can start to get grey very quickly. If everything was separate, then how are you partners? Who pays which bills and when? Should each partner know what the other is doing financially? I have never heard of a business that has done this and if they have, then I would like to know how it worked out. On a practical level, it is no longer a partnership. If a husband and wife have separate accounts then how can they behave like partners, financially speaking?
Unity
Having a joint checking account forces both spouses to work together and communicate about finances. Finances permeate through all aspects of a family from simple matters to more complex matters. A joint checking account keeps both spouses on the same page, and helps to keep them accountable to each other. It also helps to minimize selfishness and sets a focus on the family. With separate accounts, you can easily spend money on your own needs instead of putting the needs of your spouse and family first.
Asset protection
Do you want to know how to protect your assets in a marriage? Protect the health of the marriage so you do not have to worry about divorce. Practically speaking, what are you really protecting if you have separate checking accounts? The point of a checking account is not to save money, but it is used to pay for the operating expenses of the family.
Interdependence vs. Independence
It’s great to be independent, but interdependence is a more mature, evolved, and higher level of thinking. Independence states that “I” am important while interdependence shows that “we” are important. Which would you rather be?
Give it a Test Drive
If you are currently keeping your checking accounts separate, then why not give a joint checking account a chance? Try it out for 3 – 6 months and see if it changes the nature of your relationship. If they get better then let me know, but if things get worse, then don’t tell your spouse that you got the idea from this article.
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