<prompt> Human: I read a post here by some guy a while ago about how having a health scare really reminded him of mortality and inspired him to really plan for his eventual hopefully not early death as to lessen the burden on his wife as much as possible. I thought that was an extremely selfless, romantic, and responsible gesture and I want to be like that guy. And I want to start by starting now.nbsp;We are both 25. No debt, both making the same as of now. We just got married about 2 weeks ago YAY! :D and Im not really sure what all there is that we need to do. I can think of a few things: Insurance healthvisiondentalautolifeetc. Merge bank accounts and put both names on account Change beneficiary information on... everythingnbsp;Also, I should note that we make effective communication a priority, are on the same page with our financial priorities, and have 100 trust in each other. I wouldnt need a prenup even if I was worth that much. Shes really a fantastic, down to earth lady and I trust her with everything I have. Just thought I should put that out there as Im asking for advice on what you all think some effective estate-management strategies for married couples would be. We make our decisions together because we trust one another.nbsp;Okay, just had to get that out there. Anyway, is there some kind of checklist that lays out everything we need to be aware of?nbsp;1 What do we need to change and start thinking about or planning? I kind of mentioned this up above. Insurance, bank accounts, name change... what else needs to change?2 After we merge finances, what are some successful ways of disciplining and managing our money and making financial decisions? Some couples keep all their money separate. Whether this is because they simply dont want anyone else touching their pile or because one makes more than the other and they dont feel the other is entitled to the difference... I dont know. What I do know is that, whether we make equal pay or a significant difference, wed like to operate out of the same account. Everything in one pool. BUT that doesnt mean resentment could form down the road... I want to avoid that. I dont want her to resent me for buying a new toy or vice versa if she wants an expensive dress. What if one of our incomes plummet? How do you avoid the I make more than you mentality? Basically, what are some effective strategies for managing money out of a joint account?nbsp;There are probably more questions I should be asking that I dont even know to ask... so please if youve got advice Id like to hear it. Thanks.  <response>: Been with my partner for 15 years, had 100 merged finances for maybe 14.5? Prior to the relationship, I had major self-inflicted credit and finance issues. He lived on 50 of his income to aggressively pay down debt. Yeah, we were in different places in life. But I wanted to change, and he knew how to do it.Thats key to why 100 combined worked for us. I acknowledged I have a spending problem, so he fixed it. I dont resent him for controlling the money, Im terrible at it. I have always had full access to the accounts, I can see everything. I just know I cannot be trusted to make good decisions about whats there. Lesson - Practice transparency and accountabilityMint was HUGE for us, I love it. We tried You need a budget and I hated it so we do not use that. Lesson - find a tool that works for youI earned more than he did for 8 years, although his earning potential is far higher than mine. I did not resent him for that either. We are financially secure so his mental health was worth far more. We did not need him to maximize earning. Lesson - be conservative in your spending when you can, itll alleviate stress when shit happens. And it will, it does to everyone.This is more relationship than finance, but its pretty key - Approach things as a team, practice us against problem rather than spouse against spouse. In all things, but finances especially. 