(InvestigateTV) — Financial wellness between couples starts with trust, and experts say the key is knowing how to approach money conversations at different stages of a relationship.
Cherry Dale, vice president of financial education at Virginia Credit Union, said couples should start by discussing how they were raised and their childhood experiences with money rather than diving immediately into detailed financial discussions.
“Talk about what made them happy as a child or maybe there was some trauma around certain things,” Dale said. “Oftentimes what we experience growing up really impacts the way we view money. We tend to be attracted to the opposites sometimes.”
She said understanding a partner’s financial personality can prevent conflicts. If someone values security, that could mean prioritizing savings becomes important for the relationship.
“And if I’m going out and spending a lot of money that might bring panic to someone you care about, and you wouldn’t even know it,” Dale said. “But really talking through some of those experiences and working through that together is a great foundation to build that trust when it comes to your finances.”
When relationships become more serious, Dale said couples should discuss debt levels, financial goals, credit scores and retirement plans.
She said creating shared financial goals and revisiting them throughout the relationship helps build trust between partners.
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