Don't let love - and money - suffer during lockdown.
Whether you have just got engaged, or are well in to your wedding planning the realisation can be the same; they can be expensive. With money matters also the route of most domestic arguments, here's some tips for not letting tensions get high during lockdown.
Emma-Lou Montgomery, associate director for Fidelity International commented: "Whether you're planning on popping the question, secretly hoping your partner's about to, or knee-deep in wedding planning, if you haven't already, you'll soon find out that weddings can be expensive. And that's why it's even more important that you get to grips with the state of your own and your partner's finances now, so you can better prepare for both the wedding and wedded life. "And no time is better than the present. Use the current lockdown to gain a better understanding of your daily and future outgoings. This will help you to establish realistic plans to achieve your goals and put you in stronger position for a bright financial - and marital - future."
Be honest about what you earn Being honest about your finances is important, however, talking about finances can be difficult – even if it's with your partner. We found almost a third of women (29 %) would rather offer up information about their dating history than disclose their full financial history. Pretending you earn more than you do, or that you have more savings or investments than you do will only affect you negatively in the long run. Being honest and talking about your finances regularly will help you both plan realistically for the future.
Don't avoid your debts It's estimated that the average household in the UK has over £60K of debt and so debt is likely to be an issue that you and your partner will need to contend with. Whether it's shared debt or individually held, it's important that you are both aware of the situation and have a plan in place to solve the situation. And don't leave it until after the wedding to find out about any debt issues. If you're added to your spouse's account on which they have debts, you'll become jointly liable for paying them off. And if your spouse defaults, the debt collector may decide to come after you for the entire debt, even the amount your spouse was carrying before you were on the account.
Your view on money Some people are spenders, and some are savers, some fall into the middle ground and some are prone to veer erratically from one to the other. Whatever your own attitude towards money, make sure you share it with your intended early on in the wedding preparations. This will ensure you keep to an agreed budget and don't end up footing an excessive bill.
Joint finances Joint incomes can put you in a stronger position when it comes to applying for big loans such as a mortgage. When it comes to saving and investing, you're also better off, with two sets of tax allowances to play with. As unromantic as it may sound, it's a really good idea to share one another's credit files before you start saving or spending on big tickets items, like your wedding day.
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