Marrying a person who shares your attitudes about money might just be the smartest financial decision you will ever make. In fact, when it comes to finances, your marriage is likely to be your most valuable asset – or your largest liability.
和有相同金錢觀的人結婚，可能是最聰明的理財決定。事實上，談到理財，婚姻可能是你最寶貴的資產，或者最大的負債。

While most of us marry for romantic reasons, marriage at its core is still a financial union. The economies achieved by pairing up are fairly obvious.
雖然大多數人出於羅曼蒂克的原因而結婚，婚姻的根本仍是錢與錢的結合。雙人組合能省下的錢十分明顯。

However, the costs of divorce can be financially devastating, especially when children are involved. And, not surprisingly, money manages often creates problems for many couples.
然而，離婚的代價可能是理財的巨災，牽扯到孩子時更是如此。而且，錢往往為許多夫婦帶來問題，這並不意外。

“Most people think people break up over sex issues and children issues – and those are issues – but money is a huge factor in breaking up marriages,” said Susan Reach Winters, a divorce lawyer in Short Hills, New Jersey.
新澤西州秀特山市專辦離婚訴訟的律師蘇珊‧瑞奇‧溫特斯說：「大多數人以為人是為了性和子女的問題分手，這些確實是問題，但錢是婚姻破裂的重大因素。」

These guidelines are compiled from the successfully married and from experts on psychology, divorce and finance:
以下是從成功的夫妻，以及根據心理學、離婚和理財專家意見彙整出來的準則：

TALK AND SHARE GOALS Before marrying, couples should have a talk about their financial health and goals. They should ask each other tough questions.
交談並分享目標：婚前應討論財務狀況和目標，互問對方一些難題。

Do we want children? When? Who will care for them? Will they go to public or private school? What kind of life do we want? When will we retire?
我們要孩子嗎？何時？誰來照顧他們？將來讀公立或私立學校？我們要過什麼樣的日子？我們何時退休？

“In my ideal plan for couples, they would have a meeting every week on their finances,” said Karen Altfest, a financial planner who runs the New York firm L. J. Altfest & Company, with her husband. “That way, they are in sync with each other’s goals.”
「就我的理想規劃，夫妻應該每星期開一次財務會議」，與丈夫一同主持紐約L. J. Altfest & Company的財務規劃顧問凱倫‧奧特菲斯特說：「這樣，彼此的目標才會同步。」

Eric Gundlach, 53, of Owings Mills, Maryland, who has been married for 29 years, said he and his wife, Ann-Michele, “made our expectations explicit.” These included sending their son to private school and having big experiences, like traveling, in lieu of purchasing things.
結婚29年的馬里蘭州奧文斯米爾市53歲男子艾瑞克‧鈞德拉赫說，他和太太安蜜雪「把我們的預期事項講得清清楚楚。」包括讓兒子上私立學校並擁有重要體驗，例如以旅行代替購物。

RUN A HOME LIKE A BUSINESS Make a budget and keep track of earnings, expenses and debts. And structure your business as a partnership; when it comes to making big financial decisions and setting goals, do it together. Share responsibilities, too. Though one partner tends to control the finances, advisers recommend rotating tasks.
持家當成經營企業：列預算，追蹤收入、開銷和債務。建構合夥企業。要做重大財務決定和設定目標時，通力合作。責任也一同分擔。雖然財務多半由合夥人之一控管，但顧問建議錢兩人輪流管。

BE SUPPORTIVE OF CAREERS Having a supportive partner helps you professionally, which should trickle down to your mutual bottom line. “Marrying the right person helps you succeed in your career through encouragement and support, the only kind of support that comes through a supportive, intimate relationship,” said Mr. Gundlach.
支持事業：有支持自己的夥伴對事業有幫助，涓滴影響共同盈虧。鈞德拉赫說，「和合適對象結婚，獲得鼓舞、支持，有助事業成功。唯一的支持來自提供支持的、親密的關係。」

ENJOY, BUT WITHIN REASON Create a cash cushion, and live a lifestyle you can sustain. Many people who were earning a lot of money at hedge funds or financial firms that went bust are learning these lessons now.
享受，但要合理：準備現金作為預備緩衝，以自己能承擔的方式生活。許多在避險基金賺大錢的人或後來破產的金融公司，現在都學到教訓。

MAINTAIN SOME INDEPENDENCE Pooling resources is important, but so is maintaining a degree of financial independence.
保持幾分獨立：集中資源很重要，但維持一定程度的財務獨立也很重要。

Carve out some money for both partners to spend on things that make them happy. And when paring back, it’s essential that each person make sacrifices.
拿出一些錢分給合夥雙方，用在能讓他們開心的事物上。錢減少時，每個人都得犧牲，這很必要。

INVEST IN YOUR MARRIAGE Spend it – time and money – together. Go on dates. “What that does is enliven the marital foundation,” said Gary S. Shunk, a Chicago therapist who specializes in wealth issues. “It’s a kind of investment into the heart and soul of the relationship.”
投資婚姻：花下去，時間和金錢，一起花。去約會。「這能活化婚姻基礎，」專精財富問題的芝加哥治療師蓋瑞‧尚克說：「有點像是對感情的心和靈投資。」

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/business/businessspecial3/10WED.html 

2008-09-23/聯合報/G9版/UNITED DAILY NEWS 夏嘉玲 原文請見9月23日紐時周報八版下