{"id":12993,"date":"2017-09-03T12:00:29","date_gmt":"2017-09-03T17:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/?p=12993"},"modified":"2017-09-03T07:15:04","modified_gmt":"2017-09-03T12:15:04","slug":"frazier-allen-talking-about-debt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/2017\/09\/03\/frazier-allen-talking-about-debt\/","title":{"rendered":"Frazier Allen: Talking about Debt"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"F&MClarksville, TN<\/strong> – Most of us have had to deal with debt at some point in our lives, yet it still seems to be one of those taboo subjects no one wants to talk about \u2013 whether with friends, family or romantic partners. All the while, it may be more common for couples today to enter into relationships with debt, from student loans, credit cards or loans for large purchases like cars or homes.<\/p>\n

Whatever each party\u2019s situation may be, being up front early on can help you avoid unnecessary financial and personal conflict down the road.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Don\u2019t<\/a>

Don\u2019t let debt be the elephant in your relationship.<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Debt is a four-letter word<\/h3>\n

Financial stress and disagreements have long been cited as leading causes of tension in relationships. Wealth is a highly personal matter touching all facets of our lives, so it\u2019s not hard to understand why differences could hurt a relationship. Establishing an open line of communication when it comes to managing wealth is important \u2013 not only for your financial  well-being \u2013 but for your relationship, too.<\/p>\n

The airing of (financial) grievances<\/h3>\n

Especially with a spouse or romantic partner, being open with each other about your financial histories and debt \u2013  including past mistakes \u2013 is crucial to your combined  long-term success and a comfortable retirement. Not  doing so could lead to a variety of complications down  the road including bad credit, trouble getting a loan or a less-than-ideal retirement.<\/p>\n

Beyond being forthcoming about your financial standing, it\u2019s also worth noting that most of us have different ideas of what is normal or acceptable in terms of how we manage our finances and debt, or have different outlooks on what the future should hold. For example, while one partner may be comfortable renting an apartment for several years, another may be eager to become a homeowner. If one of you is carrying a lot of credit card or other debt, it could be more difficult to get a loan for such a purchase.<\/p>\n

Get in the habit of checking in on your finances and goals with regular money \u201cdates.\u201d (Consider ordering from your favorite pizza place to make it more fun.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

That being said, don\u2019t forget that not all debt is necessarily \u201cbad\u201d debt. While credit card debt typically comes with a high interest rate and should be paid off as soon as possible, other loans including student, car or home may have lower interest rates and can even improve your credit score as long as you make regular payments. In those cases \u2013 rather than trying to pay them off as soon as possible \u2013 it may make more sense to take more time to ensure you\u2019re able to keep investing and reaping returns. Taking a coordinated approach to your finances while in a relationship truly relies on having an accurate understanding of what your entire financial picture looks like \u2013 debt and all.<\/p>\n

As women tend to live longer than men, there\u2019s a good chance they will be managing finances on their own at some point \u2013 giving you both more reason to coordinate efforts now.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sharing your wealth (of knowledge)<\/h3>\n

As a role model for your children, you\u2019re looked to for guidance on many things \u2013  money included. Talk to your children about debt, sharing your own experiences and history. Remind them that carrying too much can affect their chances of getting a loan, perhaps for their first home.<\/p>\n

Better together<\/h3>\n

The good thing about having a partner who is on the same page financially is that you benefit from a support system and accountability partner. Just as many people have a gym buddy to help encourage them to stick with an exercise regimen, having someone who understands your financial goals \u2013 and weaknesses \u2013 can help you stay on your path toward a bright financial future.<\/p>\n

Next steps<\/h3>\n

Ask yourself:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Schedule regular money dates.<\/li>\n
  • Together, review your comprehensive financial situation including assets and liabilities.<\/li>\n
  • Reach out to your financial advisor to see how they can help you pursue your goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Sources:<\/strong> Psychology Today, Northwestern Mutual, Two Kids and a Budget<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Material prepared by Raymond James for use by its advisors. Raymond James is not affiliated with any companies mentioned in this material.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Clarksville, TN – Most of us have had to deal with debt at some point in our lives, yet it still seems to be one of those taboo subjects no one wants to talk about \u2013 whether with friends, family or romantic partners. All the while, it may be more common for couples today to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1898,1554,3353,9451,8501],"class_list":["post-12993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business","tag-clarksville-tn","tag-credit-card","tag-debt","tag-fm-bank-investment-services","tag-raymond-james-financial-services"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12993"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12994,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12993\/revisions\/12994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}