We usually associate pillow talk with our romantic partner in bed or in some intimate setting. It’s those moments when you can be you and reveal your thoughts, feelings, desires, or fears and just be very candid. Pillow talk’s main characteristic is that it is 100% frank and genuine, without pretense and authentic. But how do you talk money with your spouse, significant other, girlfriend, or boyfriend? The good news is that pillow talk can be about any subject and may occur before, after, or absent sex.
Retirement Approach
If you are facing retirement, one suggested approach I read about is where the husband said to his wife, “Honey, you know I won’t be getting those paychecks twice a month when I retire, so we need to make a forward-looking budget to our lifestyle.” Whether it’s an appropriate pillow talk conversation or whether it disrupts your mood, the best time to have that conversation is not after your partner has overspent or exceeded the budget and you’re now upset! Finance is a daily, weekly, and monthly experience, and since talking about finances is always difficult, don’t let it be crisis-driven. Developing a rhythm with your significant other in how you discuss financial decisions will put you on a path to success.
Step-by-Step Approach
One of the challenges that often occur when couples attempt to discuss money is that it becomes overwhelming, and one party sometimes checks out! A wife may feel that her husband is handling the family finances and she’s too busy with the kids, school, and running the home to get involved in the finances. While that may be their method of allocating responsibility, each party needs to know more than just the operational execution of responsibility. The transparency and knowledge need to be more substantive because invariably, the party who checked out may take on responsibilities when the other party is hospitalized, emergency, or in death. Therefore, mapping out a step-by-step approach is practical. After or before you get through the budget spending conversations, then target the estate plan next. If you attempt to discuss all your financial concerns at once, it may only lead to unintended adverse outcomes, consequences, and relationships.
Further, instead of fussing over the amount of money your partner spent, it may be instructive to discuss value or values. What you would spend on a new pair of shoes or coat is nothing close to what your significant other would spend on those items. You shop online at every thrift store and Goodwill, while your partner thinks quality is found in Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Neman Marcus. Conversations around values can make a significant difference and clarify your financial pillow talk relationship. Let’s talk Money Monday on the Zoom conversation on April 25, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. Sign up at: https://bit.ly/TTCM_Register
WHAT’S UP!
Today’s what’s up should come as no surprise. It’s Tax Day, aka Judgment Day! You have until midnight to go online at www.IRS.Gov and file an IRS Extension Form 4868. You must file an extension even if you owe and do not have the money to send it in with your extension. Why? It’s essential to file the extension because you could save yourself up to 25% in interest and penalties if you owe.
Now what I am about to say may sound ridiculous, but I have to say it. Today is also the deadline for people who have not filed their 2018 federal income tax return and are entitled to a refund to do so. Yes, I know people who have not filed their 2018 taxes even though they are entitled to a refund. I recently commented to a friend that the circumstances would not change even if the IRS moved the deadline to December 31, XXXX. There will always be procrastinators, even if it means giving away thousands of refund dollars to Uncle Sam, and that’s what’s up! Let’s talk Money Monday fundamentals on the Zoom Conversation on April 25, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. Sign up at: https://bit.ly/TTCM_Register
Ruthven R. Phillip, Esq., is a tax attorney, Stewardship and Philanthropy Ministry Assistant, and CEO of Give2Getrich, LLC. Give2Get Rich, LLC 2022. All Rights Reserved. Any distribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited.
