<prompt> Human: My boyfriend and I have been together for over five years and we live together. We are both 27. He ended up in a lot of debt from undergrad. There was also a side issue where his parents promised to pay for some of his loans that they had cosigned on for a while after graduation, but then it turns out they were not making payments. It allowed those portions of the loans to expand in size. In February of 2016 he had about 85k in debt. We buckled down as a couple and figured out a way to budget that worked for us both. We split rent and utilities 5050. I paid for most of our groceries and fun budget. I was still able to save about 20 of my salary and he was able to up his loan payments significantly. As of this month, his loan balance is down to 71k and my net worth is about 10k higher, so our system is working. We plan to get married in probably the next 1-2 years. Financially, Im not sure how much to help him with repayment once we are married. I believe in combining finances but I also dont want to put myself at a disadvantage. Do I stop saving entirely until the debt is paid off and put that money towards his loans? Should wedding gifts we get go to debt repayment? Do I put any of my saved money towards his loans?I would love to hear from other couples what you did or didnt do in these situations.  <response>: As an unmarried couple, it sounds like you are doing everything right. Your financial lives are intertwined up to the point of each paying their own fair share whatever you determine that to be. But his debt is his and your debt is yours.Once you are married, different story. You are now a financial entity. Legally its not your debt, but practically it is because it will dictate your spending as a couple. So what do you do today? You keep paying your half of the bills and be the fun money. Let him work on his debt and support him as best you can emotionally without directly paying for his debt. Encourage him. Help him see the long-term view. If it works out, great. If it doesnt work out, youve done a nice thing and it didnt cost you a ton of money. Every dollar that he pays off helps you as a couple.When you get married, you look at your financial situation as a whole. Do you have 6 months of combined expenses in an emergency fund? Are you taking advantage of each of your employers free money in a 401k match? Do you have common savingspending goals housekidsetc.? And then you decide what you decide. 