Any assets or debts that you accumulate together, after the wedding day, should be handled differently than pre-marital property. Consider how you will handle income, assets and debts you accumulate together. Will they be jointly owned 50/50? Or will another arrangement be required?

Whether you and your future spouse have similar styles of spending and saving, or completely different views on money management, it’s best to talk about this and agree to a plan ahead of time. Ask yourself these types of questions about managing money once you’re married.

• Who will make daily financial decisions and handle the main bank account?
• How will you make decisions about large purchases?
• Will you have joint bank accounts or separate?
• What is your overall plan for saving and spending in the short term and the long term?
• How will the decision making be done for pre-marital property or debt?
• Is there child support from a previous relationship that will affect marriage finances? How will that be handled?

A serious talk about credit and debt, along with a review of each of your credit reports is also a good idea. Things to consider during this discussion:

• How will you handle borrowing money during your marriage?
• Is there a business involved that could be affected by debts or borrowing against marriage assets?
• What if one of you has bad credit, how will that be handled in the marriage?
• Are there back taxes owed that will affect joint finances?

There are also big decisions to be made about balancing work, income, home and family in the premarriage planning process. It’s best to both be on the same page when it comes to who will earn money, take care of the home and be responsible for daily family matters, both in the short and long term. Some things to consider:

• What is the expectation about the kinds of jobs and income you will each have?
• Are there career changes in the future?
• When would you like to retire, and how?
• If you have children, will you both continue to work?
• What if you need to move far away for work?

Although it may be hard to think about spousal support, or alimony, before you even get married, what happens if it doesn’t work out? How can you both maintain income and provide for your family in case of divorce? It makes sense to at least talk about it briefly in any case. If you have a large amount of assets or high income, it makes more sense to agree upon it up front.

Consider your work and income situation, what limits to the spousal support you would like and also what would happen in case one person is unable to work.

If there is a large monetary gift, loan or other financial gift from a family member, how will you handle that in your marriage? Would it be community property or belong to the person whose family gave the gift? If it’s a loan, who is responsible for repaying it?

After your wedding day, your finances will be integrated for tax purposes, unless you specify otherwise as part of your prenuptial agreement. Discuss whether you will file taxes jointly or separately, what your attitudes are about taxes in general and how to handle old tax debt.

In addition to all of these above topics, you should also consider whether there is a business to consider, and how that will be divided (if at all), or if a business is started, how it will be handled financially during (or after) the marriage. Also, if higher education is in the plans, how will you deal with expenses and demands for time.