There are two ways of joining ”buy now/ pay later” forces: partners can open a joint credit card, or one partner can hop on the other partner’s card as an authorized user. The method you choose will affect your credit score and determine who is legally liable for the bill, so read on to make an informed decision about the best way to commingle credit.

Financial philosophies are as varied as the people who hold them. Like most things in your relationship, your budget should be an effort to harmonize your subjective experiences and improve both of your lives.

Money fights may be relatively universal, but they still suck. Here are a few of the most common reasons couples fight about money and a few thoughts on how to prevent these fights. (And yes, there is a difference between an emotion-driven fight and a controlled but intense discussion.)

A graduate degree may add thousands of dollars to your annual income eventually, but it can also add debt to your household. What happens if, after the numbers are crunched, your partner is not onboard with your grad school ambitions? Is your partner or spouse required to help pay for your advanced degree?

Renters insurance covers your stuff! It protects your possessions from damage or theft. Should a pipe burst or a burglar strike, you can submit a claim to get reimbursed for your stolen or damaged possessions. And guess what? It’s affordable.

Jen wanted to stay home and raise children, but she and Steve live in the Bay area—a place where it’s nearly impossible to exist comfortably as a single-income family. So when Jen got pregnant, they decided to set-up an e-commerce shop that Jen could run from home. Ultimately that shop, plus Steve’s side-hustle, grew enough to allow them more material comfort and financial security than they’ve ever had before.

You may be able to share healthcare benefits with your partner, even if you’re not married. It’s called domestic partnership coverage, and here’s a quick primer with everything you need to know.

Dogs are (wo)man’s “best friend,” an additional member of the family. But that loyal canine will cost you big and everyone in the household may not be thrilled about inviting a four-legged friend to the party.

Jeremy and Rosi were both bartenders in Brooklyn, but Rosi spent her nights off at open mics, nurturing her dream of a music career. When she decided to quit the bar and focus on music, Jeremy took a job with Corporate America for a bit, to earn enough to pay their bills, while she pursued her dream. Now she’s a successful singer-songwriter, and it’s her turn to support him while he pursues his dream—founding a couples financial education platform! This is the story of one of the couples who inspired the creation of Jointly.

You want to work for yourself…and so does your partner. How do you handle the financial instability when you’re both setting up your own businesses? One couple tells Jointly how they did it.

You’ve just moved in with your partner, and you are getting ready for your first date night since the move. As you are getting dressed you think to yourself, “I wonder which one of us should pick up the bill now that we live together?”

Market and social norms clash in our relationships when love and money mix. Perhaps we can learn something from cultures that barter. Trading goods & services builds reciprocity and community when so much of our shared financials lives have become transactional.

Almost a fourth of Americans admit to having hidden a credit card or bank account from a significant other. But if you and your partner are clearly communicating about finances, you should be able to say, “I love you, but I want my own bank account.” We asked a certified financial planner for tips on how to negotiate individual accounts and shared expenses.

Figuring out how to split bills is hard enough when two partners are comfortable working traditional day jobs. But sometimes neither partner wants a day job, and that makes things even more complicated. What should you do if you and your partner would each love nothing more than to skip the day job and focus on your passion? Here’s the story of how one couple chose bliss.

Every month, almost a third of all couples — even the happiest ones — clash over their finances. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Want to learn how financial discussions can be constructive to your relationship, rather than detrimental? Here are a few strategies for spearheading more productive conversations about money.

I used to interpret my husband’s desire to track each shared expense as ungenerous. But when I actually asked him about it, I began to understand how his past experiences shape his approach to money. Ultimately, the discussion strengthened our relationship—and led me to found Jointly. I learned something seemingly simple yet profound. It’s worth pushing through the awkwardness of financial conversations to get to the heart of things in our relationships.

Managing shared finances has been a source of stress in our own relationships, and this is what brought us together to found Jointly. When searching for solutions, we found that existing tools and advice were almost entirely focused on the individual. So we set out to do better for ourselves, and for the millions of couples we know are struggling with the same challenges.