1. Realize that financial decisions made prior to your engagement had nothing to do with you and you cannot pass judgment on that person. Can that person’s credit affect your credit? Of course it can, if you establish joint credit and make a purchase on that credit card. This is a time when you want to consider cleaning up the credit prior to establishing joint credit.

2. Don’t let your fear keep you from sharing financial secrets with your future spouse. Be open so you can solve financial problems together. If you have to hide your finances, you should not be entering into this marriage.

3. Discuss whose role you believe it should be to manage the money. I recommend if you are not good at managing money, then relinquish that responsibility to your future spouse. Although, you always want to make sure you are kept abreast of important financial decisions.

4. As you are making financial decisions about the wedding, cost of the caterers, wedding gown, tuxedos and even deciding about the honeymoon, take into consideration financial goals you have set for yourselves as it pertains to any individual debt. Prioritize as a couple the financial bills you want to pay first and why. You might decide to strictly focus on your future spouse’s credit first because it is stronger. Either way, make sure that it is a joint decision and everyone is happy.

5. In order to reduce the emotions of financial stress, keep household finances and decisions solely between you and your future spouse. When you share financial problems with others, you get biased opinions based on their lives and marriage instead of what is truly happening with you and your mate.