Financial Planning for Life Events: Marriage, Parenthood, and Retirement

Life's journey often intertwines with financial decisions, especially during key milestones. Planning for these significant events can help turn potentially stressful situations into joyful celebrations. That’s why we have gathered some helpful insights into managing finances during three of life's pivotal moments: marriage, parenthood, and retirement.

1. Marriage: Merging Two Financial Lives

According to Forbes disagreement over finances is one of the top reasons for divorce. Before merging your life with someone, it's essential to understand their financial stance and set mutual goals.

• Budget Together: Begin by setting a joint budget, considering shared goals, individual spending habits, and debts.
• Discuss Financial History: Discover your partner’s key beliefs and core philosophy about money. Are they a saver or a spender? Do they have substantial debt? What is their contentment level with their current financial standing? Read more on questions to ask before marriage.
• Plan for the Future: Whether you’re saving up for a home or planning an early retirement, understanding each other's financial goals is pivotal. Always discuss logistics, such as separate or joint savings accounts and discretionary spending limits.
• Financial Counseling: Couples may want to consider attending financial counseling or workshops as a proactive step to better understand and align their financial strategies.

2. Parenthood: Preparing for Your Newest Family Member

Children not only bring joy but also new financial responsibilities. The good news is that being proactive can ensure you’re more prepared for these new expenses.

• Adjust Your Budget: Parenthood comes with additional costs like childcare, healthcare, and education.
• Start a College Fund: Consider opening a 529 Plan or another college savings account early on.
• Revise Your Insurance: Ensure your new family member is covered by updating your health insurance and considering an increase in life insurance.

3. Retirement: Ensuring a Comfortable Future

Retirement should be a time of relaxation, not financial worry. Planning for retirement can help you make the most of your golden years.

• Calculate Future Expenses: Determine how much you'll need in retirement and ensure you're on track.
• Maximize Your Savings: Make the most of employer-sponsored retirement plans and consider opening an IRA.
• Diversify Investments: Protect your future with a diversified investment portfolio.

Financial planning can be a complex process, but it is essential for ensuring a financially secure future. This quick overview should help get you started, but if you are in need of more in-depth financial planning you may want to consider working with a financial advisor.

Every life event brings its financial challenges. With proactive planning and the right resources, these milestones can be celebrated without unnecessary financial strain. RISE is dedicated to supporting you through every step. From understanding the intricacies of credit inquiries to the nuances of personal loans, we have your back. Dive deeper into these topics and more with our interactive tools for budgeting, setting savings goals, and tackling debt on our blog. And if you do find yourself in need of a personal loan that RISE offers online installments from $500 to $5,000 dollars with funding as soon as the next business day.*   Learn more about RISE and see why for millions of Americans, RISE is a better way to borrow.”

This content provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. RISE is not acting as a credit counseling or repair service, debt consolidation service, or credit services organization in providing this content. RISE makes no representation about the reliability or suitability of the information provided – any action you take based on this content is at your own risk.