The Newlywed’s Guide to Taking Control of Your Money

Farnoosh Torabi

Your search is finally over. You’ve discovered your soul mate, with more in common than either of you ever thought possible. Together, you hope for three children (two boys, one girl), you share a religion, enjoy gardening on Saturday afternoons, cheer for the Lakers, and prefer vanilla to chocolate.

Then one day, you get in the car and head to the mall. While you make a beeline to the sales section, your mate considers opening up a store credit card to finance a brand new plasma TV. You roll your eyes.

The next month, you jointly apply for a home loan and discover your partner’s credit score is too poor to qualify for a decent interest rate. Your dreams of owning a home get ...