When did you make the merge?

We have been married for 6 months and still have separate checking accounts. We have had a joint savings for years though. Anyway my question is this...
When did you join your checking accounts? I am afraid of this because I like to control my checking account, and he likes to control his. We each pay our own bills, and our joint bills get paid by whoever has the money at the time. LOL
I am stressed because I know he wants to join the accounts soon. So, when did you ladies do this, and who controls the bill paying?

Re: When did you make the merge?

We joined when we started to rack up wedding bills (before the wedding). Now I write out all the bills but we both keep track of what is going on.

Re: When did you make the merge?

I was the same way, but after we came home from our HM, we opened a joint checking, and savings (put my savings account before we got married) and put our wedding $$ in.
I pay all th ebills, because hubby has NO CLUE when what bills go out.

Re: When did you make the merge?

We merged all of our accounts when we got engaged, and Patrick took over the bill paying.

It's definitely not something you HAVE TO do. Maybe you and Tom should discuss this more if you are not comfortable merging everything. Some people prefer to, and do keep seperate accounts.
Maybe an option to satify both of you would be to keep your own accounts, and then open a joint checking account.

There are lots of options out there, and I'm sure that you will find the one that's best for you as a couple.

Re: When did you make the merge?

I still have my own checking account, where my pay check gets direct deposited to, and my DH still has his own. We never 'merged' them so to speak, but we did put each others names on the account so we could each have access if need be, and so we could cash checks made out to Mr. and Mrs. We also have a joint savings account for future expenses that we both contribute to.

Re: When did you make the merge?

we opened a joint account 1 month before the wedding....(when checks started coming in)
but said wed keep our separate accounts as well...



well a month after the wedding...Dh was laid off...so everything went into one...

Re: When did you make the merge?

We're not going to merge.

He has his account, I have mine, and we also have a joint account.

We haven't figured out all the details yet, like how much we will each contribute to the joint account each month, etc. But we'll work it out.

I'm most likely going to take over the bill paying. I'm really organized and very good with keeping the accounts balanced and the bills paid on time, so it's only logical that I be in charge. My DH is not as anal about those things.

Re: When did you make the merge?

We merged when we moved in together which was 4 years before we got married. We still keep our little 'spending' accounts but the bulk of both of our paychecks get routed to a joint bill paying account and then savings get pulled out of there to a joint acct.

For us, merging right away made sense. I can not think what an administrative nightmare it must be to keep track of who owes what to whom and who is paying out of what acct.

Re: When did you make the merge?

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Posted by Sonicstef

We merged when we moved in together which was 4 years before we got married. We still keep our little 'spending' accounts but the bulk of both of our paychecks get routed to a joint bill paying account and then savings get pulled out of there to a joint acct.

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This is our situation but we just did this about 7 or 8 months ago. As soon as we got engaged we opened joint savings & checking accounts for wedding expenses.

Re: When did you make the merge?

we opened a joint acct right after we got engaged, but took awhile to merge all the other accounts & bill paying together (more from being lazy than anything else). I think it happened about 6-8 months after the wedding.

I find it a lot easier to see the full financial picture in one place rather than mine vs. his - especially after I got laid off. And its all 'our' money - it's been that way since we moved in together. Didn't matter who paid the bills as long as they got paid.

Now, we have it set up so all our bills are paid electronically from our joint acct - so I wouldn't say either of us 'controls' it and no one's writing the checks each month, but I keep a closer eye on it then he does.

We do keep separate credit cards - so we're not going over every dollar of what the other spends, but they both get paid out of the joint acct.

Re: When did you make the merge?

We also merged a week before we got married. I do all the bills because Hubby is just no good at it . If you both like paying the bills and knowing what goes on together, my parents use to sit together once every two weeks and pay the bills.

Re: When did you make the merge?

We 'merged' right after the wedding (checking & savings acct). We still have our own savings/checkings too.

Re: When did you make the merge?

Doesnt it feel like too many accounts for those who have joint and separate though? I think I need to merge with him on the checking, but I may just have to be the one in charge...

Re: When did you make the merge?

Scott had I had own our checking accounts for many months after our marriage. I hate dealing with bills and accounts so it was too much for him to take care of alone so we merged. BUT I know many couples who both work and keep their own accounts, and just have a joint savings account.
You need to do what is best for you as a couple, not what makes sense for other couples.

Re: When did you make the merge?

We both have our own personal accounts each of those are free meaning no charges and such.

We share one account because through my office it is free.

Bills? HAHA
I have a budget for both of us. He gets paid and I have him pay his bills that day or the next. I get paid and do the same. Right now since we're saving for our ceremony next year, I am the only one with hard cash, I withdraw it and let him hold the cash, but in all honest, I hold the purse strings so to speak. I just like having my DH 'pay' for things. Old fashioned I guess. It's OUR money regardless of which account it comes from.

We plan to keep our own separate accounts. It's just our choice. We are not even listed as beneficiaries on eachothers separate accounts. I have my twin baby brothers and he has his mother. *shrug*

Re: When did you make the merge?

we merged right after we moved in together, which was about 10 months before the wedding. now we have a joint checking, joint savings and i have a seperate checking and savings. yes it's alot of accounts, but only at two banks and it's not confusing at all. i have part of my paycheck deposited to the joint and part to my personal account.

for us it works really nice b/c i can go out and buy that $800 pair of boots with 'my' money and he doesn't say anything about it. he's in charge of the bills mainly b/c i'm not that organized with that stuff.

but everyone will find a different solution that works for them. i think the joint account is nice b/c you can easily pay bills and not have to worry about who's supposed to pay who back. and most direct deposit plans will allow you to split your check between several accounts in case you want to keep your own.

Re: When did you make the merge?

Going along with this I have a questions. Frankie and I still have our own accounts and then a joint checking and savings. I would rather merge them- IMO too many accounts. Frankie's fear is how do we know who is doing what with the money? Meaning that he will have to answer to me every time he takes out $20 and I him and he is nervous in case we forget - he is so anal about it. Can someone please explain to me how you guys keep your joint accounts straight. Do you both get an allowance for the week?

Re: When did you make the merge?

great question swags!

Re: When did you make the merge?

It all depends on what stage of your life you are in.

If you're in your 20's and really have little or no assets, merging is much easier.

If you're older or have more assets, it may make more sense to keep your own established accounts and also have a joint savings / checking for your bills & future savings.

Personally, I prefer it this way. DH & I have a budget that we agreed to save, and as long as we meet that, we don't have to 'ask' about any puchases we want to make.

Re: When did you make the merge?

We merged after the wedding.

We still have our own accounts in addition to the joint accounts.