Before you tie your destiny and your credit rating to the person you love, there are some decidedly un-romantic conversations that you need to have in order to prevent discord and catastrophe later in life.

According to the New York Times, those are:

• Your financial ancestry – how did your parents deal with money—and even farther back than that?
• Your credit history – obviously.
• Control over money – who will pay your household’s bills? Who makes the financial decisions?
• Affluence and financial goals – how rich do you want to be as a couple or as a family? Financially, what is important to you?

• We’d argue that this also applies to couples who are uninterested in or legally prohibited from marriage before they commit and combine households, too. The Times asked readers for their ideas—what are yours?

  Money Talks to Have Before Marriage [New York Times]

  (Photo: afagen)

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