As we all know, relationships take a lot more than love - it takes trust, commitment, honesty, and so much more.
With the ever-increasing divorce rate in Malaysia, we've found that the one thing that holds many couples back from a successful marriage is the problem we all face: money.
With that being said, we asked 4 couples in different life stages about financial questions we should ask our partners before getting married.
Jenny and Nash: dated for 3 years, newlyweds
"What's your current financial situation like and what kind of spender are you?"
Jennie: I think making sure to ask them about their debts, assets and current financial situation is the most important thing lah. The last thing you want as newlyweds is to find out that you now have to help settle your significant other's debt!
Nash: I agree. Another thing to look out for is how they usually manage their finances. You gotta make sure the person you're marrying isn't reckless with money or a compulsive shopper, man!
Emily and Kwan Yi: dated for 3 years, married for 5 years
"Do you want to get a joint account?"
"Who should handle the family's finances?"
"How did money affect your upbringing?"
Emily: Even though it can be scary or even a little awkward, it's important to sit down and have a talk about how the both of you would like to handle your finances, such as whether you would like to have a joint account, or whether one of you should manage the family's money, or the kind of lifestyle you would like to live, and more.
Kwan Yi: Oo, it's also good to ask about how money affected their upbringing too. It helps you to understand each other and your views on money. I mean, the last thing you want is for the both of you to be on completely different pages. That's a recipe for endless arguments man!
Aira and AJ: dated for "who knows how long", married for 13 years
"What kind of life do you want to live and what financial goals do you have to achieve it?"
Aira: There are a bunch of questions that you'll be asking them along the way, but something that helped me understand AJ much better was asking him about his financial goals. It helped me gauge how mature he was when we were dating and gave me the confidence to spend my life with him.
AJ: Wah, so nice ah? Make sure to answer in the best way possible je lah, okay guys? Hahaha. But to be honest, I would suggest the same thing. When it comes down to having and raising kids, buying a house, and planning for retirement, you would just feel better knowing that you and your wife have a similar plan in mind lah.
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