婚前搞定錢 婚后更輕松

Financial Questions to Settle Before You Get Married

婚前搞定錢，婚后更輕松

There are only two kinds of people in this world,spenders and savers, and for better or worse theytend to marry each other.

這個(gè)世界上只存在兩類人：花錢簍子和存錢罐子。好巧不巧的是，這兩類人結(jié)合在一起的概率往往很大。

 

 

So says longtime financial writer Terry Savage, who has co-written a new book on how todiscuss and negotiate key money issues with your spouse-to-be, to give your relationship thebest chance for success ('The New Love Deal: Everything You Must Know Before Marrying,Moving In, or Moving On!')

資深財(cái)經(jīng)作家特里·薩維奇(Terry Savage)如是說(shuō)道。她與人合作撰寫了一本新書，討論如何與準(zhǔn)配偶討論并協(xié)商處理一些重要的金錢問(wèn)題，為雙方的結(jié)合創(chuàng)造更大的成功機(jī)會(huì)。(新書名為《愛情新論：在結(jié)婚、同居或分手前必須知道的一切!》(The New Love Deal: Everything You Must Know Before Marrying,Moving In, or Moving On!))

While you probably can't change your mate's basic money personality, you can avoidarguments and hidden resentments by talking honestly about your finances and putting certainplans in place before you head down the aisle. With wedding season around the corner, here'san Investing Basics checklist for people about to tie the knot:

雖然你可能無(wú)法改變伴侶對(duì)金錢的基本態(tài)度，但在步入紅毯前，坦誠(chéng)討論彼此的財(cái)務(wù)狀況并提前制定一些合理的財(cái)務(wù)計(jì)劃，可能幫助你們避免日后的一些爭(zhēng)吵和隱怨。在婚慶旺季即將到來(lái)之際，本文總結(jié)了一份供準(zhǔn)新人們參考的投資常識(shí)(Investing Basics)清單：

Take inventory

盤點(diǎn)資產(chǎn)

'The most important thing is to talk about your debts and to take an inventory of what assetseach of you has, ' says Holly Kylen, a financial adviser with Voya Financial in Lititz, Pa.

賓夕法尼亞州提茲市(Lititz) Voya Financial公司的財(cái)務(wù)顧問(wèn)霍利·凱倫(Holly Kylen)表示：“重中之重是講明各自的債務(wù)，對(duì)各自名下的各項(xiàng)資產(chǎn)都盤點(diǎn)清楚。”

One way to start the conversation is to swap credit reports, preferably over a nice bottle ofwine, says Ms. Savage. If your spouse-to-be is on the hook for student loans or child support,discuss whether and to what extent you're willing to help bear the cost.

薩維奇表示，切入這個(gè)話題的一個(gè)辦法是相互交換信用報(bào)告，最好是在有美酒相伴的氣氛下。如果另一方需要償還學(xué)生貸款或支付子女撫養(yǎng)費(fèi)，與之坦誠(chéng)相告你是否愿意以及在多大程度上愿意與對(duì)方分擔(dān)這些義務(wù)。

Credit scores are a source of stress in one in five marriages, but spouses who discuss creditscores before marriage are more likely to agree on how to use credit as a couple, according toa study about to be released by Experian Consumer Services.

Experian Consumer Services即將發(fā)布的一項(xiàng)研究報(bào)告顯示，在各種婚姻危機(jī)中，信用記錄導(dǎo)致的壓力占到了兩成。而婚前討論過(guò)信用記錄問(wèn)題的夫妻，更容易就如何使用信用達(dá)成共識(shí)。

Systematize

制度固化

Next, decide how you're going to handle the money. While it's understandable that somecouples, particularly older ones, prefer to keep separate accounts, at least at first, manyfinancial advisers recommend working toward paying all joint expenses out of a joint account.

下一步，需要確定今后如何處理財(cái)務(wù)問(wèn)題。有些夫婦尤其是大齡的夫婦，至少在最初的時(shí)候更傾向于保持各自獨(dú)立的資金賬戶，這種做法當(dāng)然是可以理解的，但很多財(cái)務(wù)顧問(wèn)的建議是，最好是能設(shè)一個(gè)聯(lián)名賬戶，通過(guò)它支付應(yīng)當(dāng)共同承擔(dān)的費(fèi)用。

'Marriage is complicated anyway, ' says Michael Eisenberg, an accountant and financial adviserin Los Angeles. 'This is one easy way to simplify things.'

洛杉磯會(huì)計(jì)師兼財(cái)務(wù)顧問(wèn)邁克爾·艾森伯格(Michael Eisenberg)說(shuō)：“婚姻畢竟是很復(fù)雜的，這么做可以輕松簡(jiǎn)化一些事情。”

If you each earn an income, consider having your paychecks direct-deposited into separateaccounts, then automatically transferring a certain amount--perhaps proportional to yourincome or to other obligations--into a joint checking account from which you pay your billsonline, recommends Ms. Savage.

薩維奇建議，如果雙方都有收入，可以依舊將工資打入各自的賬戶，然后設(shè)置自動(dòng)轉(zhuǎn)賬，以收入或其他義務(wù)為參考設(shè)定一定的比例，固定將一筆錢轉(zhuǎn)到兩人的活期聯(lián)名賬戶，再通過(guò)這個(gè)聯(lián)名賬戶在線支付家庭費(fèi)用。

Set common goals

設(shè)定共同目標(biāo)

From there you might set up additional joint accounts for short-term (one to two years) andmedium-term (three to five) goals, such as saving to buy a car or a house. This requires doinga little budgeting.

接下來(lái)，可以根據(jù)一兩年的短期目標(biāo)或三五年的中期目標(biāo)，另外設(shè)立幾個(gè)聯(lián)名賬戶，例如為了買車或買房而進(jìn)行的儲(chǔ)蓄。這需要小小地合計(jì)一下。

'Both people need to be flexible, ' Mr. Eisenberg adds. Say you're used to saving $200 apaycheck for a rainy-day fund, but your partner thinks that's overkill. You might agree toinstead save $100 plus part of any tax refunds or bonuses that come along. 'The key to this isdialogue, ' he says.

艾森伯格補(bǔ)充道：“雙方都需要適當(dāng)變通。”例如，你習(xí)慣從工資中拿出200美元存作應(yīng)急資金，但你的另一半覺得這筆錢有點(diǎn)多?；蛟S你可以同意減到100美元，外加今后可能獲得的退稅或獎(jiǎng)金的一部分作為備用金。艾森伯格說(shuō)：“關(guān)鍵在于溝通。”

Save for retirement

存錢養(yǎng)老

'Make sure no one makes a dime without putting something away for retirement, ' says Ms.Kylen. You and your partner don't necessarily have to save identical amounts. 'Equal is notsynonymous with fair, ' says Ms. Savage.

凱倫說(shuō)：“要確保花銷不會(huì)影響退休計(jì)劃。”夫妻雙方不一定非要按對(duì)半的比例存錢。薩維奇指出：“均等不一定意味著公平。”

But you should coordinate how much you're going to save and what savings vehicles you'regoing to use. If one partner's employer offers a 401(k) matching contribution, it probablymakes sense for that person to contribute at least enough to qualify for the employer match.

但雙方應(yīng)當(dāng)就儲(chǔ)蓄金額以及計(jì)劃使用的儲(chǔ)蓄工具進(jìn)行溝通協(xié)調(diào)。如果一方的雇主提供401(k)匹配繳費(fèi)計(jì)劃，這一方最好能夠提存足夠多的錢，以達(dá)到這個(gè)計(jì)劃的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。

Manage risk

控制風(fēng)險(xiǎn)

Consider whether you'll need insurance, and if so factor the premiums into your budget. 'Ifyou're buying a home together you need life insurance, ' says Ms. Savage. Disability insurancecan't hurt either, says Mr. Eisenberg.

考慮是否需要購(gòu)買保險(xiǎn)，如果答案是肯定的，則需要把保費(fèi)合計(jì)到預(yù)算中。薩維奇說(shuō)：“如果雙方要組建家庭，就需要考慮購(gòu)買壽險(xiǎn)。”艾森伯格表示，買份傷殘險(xiǎn)也沒什么壞處。

And don't forget to change the beneficiaries on any existing insurance policies, as well asretirement accounts and so-called pay-on-death accounts, which supersede your will and godirectly to the named beneficiaries.

此外，別忘記更新現(xiàn)有保單、退休賬戶或所謂“生后支取”賬戶的受益人，因?yàn)檫@些賬戶安排可以無(wú)需遺囑，在既定條件滿足的情況下直接支付給指定受益人。

Gay married couples need to be especially careful when naming their spouse beneficiary of anannuity. Since insurance is state-regulated, 'same-sex couples today should not assume aspousal benefit [known as a 'spousal lifetime income benefit rider'] will work, ' says Ms. Kylen,who recently married her partner of 20 years. 'It would be best to have it in writing or to seesame-sex language in your document just to cross your T's.'

同性夫婦在指定配偶作為年金保險(xiǎn)受益人時(shí)需要特別留意。最近與其相處了20年的同性伴侶完婚的凱倫指出，在美國(guó)，保險(xiǎn)業(yè)的監(jiān)管職責(zé)是由各州承擔(dān)的，“因此在目前，同性夫婦不能想當(dāng)然地認(rèn)為配偶津貼(即‘配偶終生收入給付附加條款’)政策對(duì)他們也有效。審慎起見，最好以書面形式寫入文件，或者確保有關(guān)文件中有對(duì)‘同性’進(jìn)行說(shuō)明的條款”。

Consider a prenuptial

考慮婚前協(xié)議

If neither you nor your partner is equipped to talk about financial matters, enlist the help of aclose friend, relative, financial adviser or lawyer, says Mr. Eisenberg.

如果兩位準(zhǔn)新人都不擅長(zhǎng)討論財(cái)務(wù)問(wèn)題，艾森伯格建議可以向某位親近的朋友、親戚、財(cái)務(wù)顧問(wèn)或律師求助。