I definitely disagree with new couples having separate banking accounts as Clark alluded to. We have been married almost 44 years now and have one main checking and several savings. I feel marriage is not a full commitment when you have separate accounts. Call me old fashioned; I don’t care. Another piece of un asked for advice to couples. Keep communications OPEN.
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I think a lot of that depends on where you are financially when you get married. In my case, my wife (25 years) and I were about the same position with little savings and little debt and we each owned our cars and rented apartments. So in our case it made sense to just blend everything financially.
However, if something were to ever happen and I was tempted to get remarried, there is no chance that I would blend our finances. We have achieved a significnat net worth and I am not about to let someone else piggyback off that success.
You are spot on about open communication. I think thats a cornerstone of a good marriage.
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My parents used a joint checking account. It was a constant nightmare. Always having to keep each other notified when one of them wrote a check, etc.
Therefore, when I got married, I told my wife to keep her own checking account.
Based on our incomes, we split up the bills. I paid the house and car notes, she paid the household utilities. We each paid our own credit card bills.
This has worked out very well for us.
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Well if it worked! 
Marriages come in many flavors today, they range from total commitment and dedication to one another to casual living arrangements and shared expenses.
Marriage ain’t what it usta be. 
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That is so very true!
It’s still going well after 51 years! 
Good for you! That’s a rarity these days! Takes hard work.
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Wife and I are working on year 53.
I love and respect people from Venus and she puts up with people from Mars!
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Congratulations!
BIGGEST mistake I made in my marriage. My ex cleaned out all of the accounts and I didn’t really notice because he was already retired but I was working full time and never thought he would do that. And then Bam. There it was. All gone. I say each person should have some of their own discretionary funds.
Great if it works for you. But welcome to the 21st century.
You see we have a thing called Individual Retirement accounts. They are by definition Individual. Then late wife had a biz so an account that was hers was appropriate. New bride came along and had of course her own account and an IRA that her son manages. While we have an account or two with joint ownership, most are simply covered with a beneficiary or POD. Sure would not want to have to try to manage a single account.
That’s what trusts are for.
I am divorced twice after a combined 34 years of marriage, but we never ever argued over money. We were both in our 30s and living independently when I married the first time, so neither one of us was really willing to give up control over everything we had alreadyworked for. We always kept a sticky note on the refrigerator with a “T account,” and each of us was responsible to enter joint expenses on our side of the T. Once a month we would add it up and roll the balance to the next month. If things got way out of balance, we would discuss that and find an agreeable way to get back to even.
Luckily, second wife (at age 54) agreed to the same scheme. She was in it for the money and would have cleaned me out!
So count your blessings, tekwrite, you got a keeper!
Thank you. And I am happy for you!