Couples should discuss money before marrying

You’re a perfect couple, with compatible goals, views, experiences — but have you gotten really intimate and talked money?

Many couples don’t, and with wedding season upon us, the personal finance site BillSaver.com suggests you and your partner have a frank discussion, sizing up each other’s fiscal state before heading down the aisle.

A few tips for the talk:

• Don’t assume your partner is coming to the marriage debt-free, with a retirement plan and a stash of cash. You should disclose all debt, including student loans, car payments and credit card balances.
• Discuss your attitudes and habits about spending and saving. You may disagree on these topics, but it’s important to reach a comfort level with how the other person will act toward the marriage’s assets and debts.
• Determine how bills will be paid. Should accounts be separate?
• Resist a new house, car, furniture and great trips.
• Start saving in retirement plans and Individual Retirement Accounts. A double income can help bulk up these investments, and you now have a spouse’s old age to consider.
• Update or buy insurance coverage. You may need more now.

Motley Fool

Name that company

Founded in 1923 as a yarn company, I grew into America’s first conglomerate. Today, based in Providence, R.I., I’m one of America’s largest companies. Over time, I’ve gone from making parachutes and lingerie to industrial tools, golf cars and fuel tanks. Some of the brands under my roof include Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, E-Z-GO and Greenlee. My annual revenues top $10 billion, and I’ve got roughly 50,000 people on my payroll. Bell Helicopter is the world’s leader in commercial helicopter production, and every 20 seconds, a Cessna Citation takes off or lands somewhere in the world. Who am I?