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Money squabbles? Writer A. B. Jacobs shares a few secrets to financial equilibrium between couples gained over four decades of working in the finance industry
Money and relationships
It's normal that spouses harbour different opinions on a variety of subjects. The two maroon shirts I occasionally wear - and love - are regarded by my wife as particularly ugly. As she's kind enough to humour me on this matter, it's only fitting that I don't openly criticise the soap drama she chooses to view at 9 o'clock every Thursday night. Although we seldom bicker over things, at times our respective differences, particularly on the matter of money, are clearly stated. And this is as it should be, for income and expenditures are at the heart of any partnership, family as well as business. With that said, it's my belief that there are five basic issues in which both spouses must be in firm accord. These represent the most prevalent omissions and commissions that lead to untold grief for many couples.
No single implement has lead to greater misery for more families than the credit card. Over the past couple of generations it has been promoted in a way to financially destroy the unsophisticated user. It's my belief that a credit card should serve a single purpose: a convenience when neither cash nor cheque is readily available. Purchases should only be made in a manner that the account balance is paid in full each month before any interest can be charged. Both spouses must conduct their lives by this rule. If either cannot do so, all credit cards should be destroyed with members of the family adjusting their lives accordingly.
As a very first consideration, every family provider must arrange financially for his or her survivors in the event of untimely death, meaning the spouse and all minor offspring. A common way to accomplish this is with a life insurance policy. This is where controversy arises, for there exists an industry devoted to selling products that minimise death benefits while maximising profits for its marketers. Regardless of sales pitches to the contrary, you want an inexpensive and unadorned 20- or 30-year level benefit term policy, of sufficient face value (normally no less than ten times the insured's annual income), from a reputable insurer. Once the company is chosen and the face amount of the policy is determined, neither husband nor wife should question the wisdom of the periodic premium outlay.
With the exception of hearth and home, the motor vehicle constitutes the typical family's single most important fixation. No other product is more forcefully marketed, and far too many people succumb to its allure, forfeiting a substantial portion of disposable income. I'll put it bluntly: No one should drive a vehicle that is financed or leased. You should acquire your transportation 100 per cent cash on the barrelhead, even if it means you drive a 1984 Toyota Corolla. Each spouse should enthusiastically embrace this concept. At a later date, when your fortune is deservedly secure, you may feel free to sport brand new matching Rolls Royces - but again, devoid of any financing.