50 Money Questions You Need to Ask Before Marriage

Marriage is a huge step in a relationship and money plays a huge role in that step. 

Here are fifty money questions to ask before marriage so you know the financial situation you’re walking into.

This post contains affiliate links; please read our Disclosure for more information

For some of you, marriage may not be on the cards but you cohabitate as partners.

As long as you’re serious about each other and can see a future together, start asking.

These questions are designed to give you a head start in your relationship and your future together.

By head start I mean you can begin day one of your union together with a financial plan.

At the very least you’ll have an understanding of where you stand financially so you can make informed decisions.

Before Lindie and I got married we already knew about each other’s finances, but this is not a reality for many couples.

These fifty questions to ask your partner about money are designed to get the conversation going.

Money Questions To Ask Before Marriage

Lindie and I are advocates of financial intimacy.

Financial intimacy is like physical or emotional intimacy, but with money.

It’s where you’re close and connected financially, and these questions enable you to build this.

Why This Is Important

Above all, we ask questions to learn.

The aim is to learn about each other’s thoughts on money and the role it will play in your relationship.

We’re not here to tell you whether you should or shouldn’t be with someone because of their financial situation – that’s up to you.

We believe the key to being with someone is that you can see a future together.

Having said that, money is absolutely important so don’t overlook it.

These money questions will empower you to set up your financial plan as a couple.

Moreover, you’ll learn about each other and get to understand each other’s money mindset and money personality.

All this hugely impacts your relationship.

Money In A Relationship

Money is first and foremost personal, it’s linked to our very lives.

When it comes to your relationship it can make or break it.

Think about it, money impacts where you’ll live, what you can do and where you can go.

It influences the types of date nights you’ll have, the kind of wedding you’ll have and the lifestyle you can provide for your family.

In addition, some couples fight about money for many reasons, one of them being financial infidelity.

Financial infidelity is like normal infidelity, but with money.

It manifests itself through lying or hiding finances from your partner.

For example, not telling your partner about your debt or being upfront about your financial decisions.

We prefer to be on the other side of the fence, using money to build our relationship.

Asking these money questions before marriage is how you can start.

I love this testimony of how this couple became millionaires by financially planning together.

50 Money Questions To Ask Your Partner Before Marriage

There are five groups of questions with ten questions in each group.

Each group has a different tone to the conversation and aims for a specific outcome.

These questions are not written in any order or rank, it’s up to you what feels appropriate to discuss.

We’d encourage you to have the right approach to discuss money with your partner.

You don’t have to ask all these money questions at once.

But each one of them is important so don’t skip them or leave them undiscussed.

We’d also recommend getting some form of money journal to note key learnings from these discussions.

We use the Clever Fox Money Journal that also has a planner for reaching your money and life goals.

Let’s get into it.

10 Financial Questions To Ask Your Partner

First, we have have the core financial questions to ask your partner.

These questions aim to bring to light your partner’s financial situation.

Don’t shy away from the numbers.

Here are ten financial questions to ask your partner.

1. What’s your salary?
2. Do you currently have a budget for your money?
3. How much debt do you owe and to whom?
4. How much do you have saved and invested, and where is it saved and invested?
5. What assets do you have?
6. What’s your current net worth?
7. What’s your credit score and what does your credit report look like?
8. Are you enrolled in your workplace pension or retirement account?
9. What financial goals are you working towards?
10. How do you feel about getting a prenup (or similar agreement)?
    
    

10 Questions About Money Management

Secondly, we have questions about money management.

These questions enable you to talk about how you’ll manage money together. 

You may have differing opinions about how you’ll manage money together, there’s no wrong or right.

At least you’ll each know your thoughts and expectations on how money management should work.

Here are ten questions about money management to ask.

1. How should we handle the budget?
2. How will we manage the bills, savings, investments, debt repayments and other living expenses?
3. What do you think about having joint accounts?
4. Should we combine our finances or keep them separate, and why? 
5. Will we both have equal say with our money despite who earns more?
6. What percentage of your income do you give or want to give?
7. How should we handle family and friends asking for money?
8. Do you have any financial commitments that you feel are compulsory? Such as taking care of parents, child maintenance or tithing.
9. When should we consult each other before making a purchase?
10. How can we work as a team with our finances?
    
    

10 Fun Money Questions

Money shouldn’t always be a serious conversation.

Here are ten fun money questions to ask your partner.

These help you to learn about their mindset, aspirations and habits.

Here are ten fun money questions to ask before marriage.

1. What is your financial guilty pleasure?
2. What skills do you have that you can turn into a side hustle?
3. Would you rather buy name brand products or generic products?
4. What does your dream holiday look like?
5. How do you like to spend your “fun” money?
6. If you won £1m, what would you do with it?
7. Are you more likely to save and buy something outright or borrow the money and pay in instalments?
8. If your money was a person, what would it say about you?
9. Would you rather spend money on an experience or an item?
10. Would you rather be rich or famous?
    
    

10 Deep Questions About Money

These questions aim to uncover the layers beneath the numbers.

You want to learn about the motivations, drivers and influences behind your partner’s money mindset.

This is an area where you may have a lot to write about in your money journal, we certainly did.

Here are ten deep questions about money to ask before marriage.

1. If you had all the money you ever needed and never had to worry about money, what would your life look like?
2. Imagine you were given the power to set your monthly income, what would it be and why?
3. If you were in consumer debt, would you trade everything you own to be debt-free?
4. What’s more important to you, job satisfaction or income?
5. Did your family talk to you about money when you were growing up?
6. What are the top money lessons you’d teach your children?
7. If you could undo one financial decision in your life, what would it be and why?
8. Do you have any desire to stop being an employee?
9. What financial inheritance and legacy would you like to leave for your family?
10. What does rich, wealth and prosperity mean to you? Do you believe you can be rich, wealthy and prosperous?
    
    

10 Other Money Questions for Couples

These are other key questions to ask your partner. 

Some are complementary to the previous questions and others help you draw a bigger picture of your financial intimacy.

1. How should we handle financial disagreements?
2. If I spent money on something and didn’t tell you, would you be upset? And how much would be the maximum amount to spend without telling you?
3. If we’re keeping some or all of our money separate, how will we handle it if one of us loses their source of income?
4. In your mind, what would you class as a financial emergency?
5. Are you willing to cut present-day luxuries for future goals like being debt-free or saving for a house? And are there any luxuries that you wouldn’t cut no matter what?
6. What money habits would you like for us to have, or change, or stop?
7. What is your opinion on debt, investing, saving, pensions, spending and giving? As in, what do you think and feel about these areas?
8. Are there any financial issues you’d deem as a deal-breaker for us?
9. What are your thoughts on opening up about our finances to other people? And whom would you not want to talk to about money?
10. How will we make sure money doesn’t come in between us?
    
    

Take Action

Start asking your partner money questions from today!

These are money questions to ask before marriage but they still should be asked if you’re in a serious relatinship.

Share this to others if you found value in it and feel others should too.

Check out our Ultimate Money Plan to get in control of your money and smash your financial goals

Let us know how you’re getting along by getting in touch with us, we’d love to hear from you

Knowledge is powerless without action

So take action, and take care

Thando