NEWLYWED FINANCE PRIMER Ray Auclair, writing in the Woonsocket Call, has some financial advice for young couples:

Do not keep secrets about debts or credit problems. Bad credit records or bankruptcies may affect your ability to finance a new house or car, how you hold title property and the way you file taxes. Disclose any financial baggage you are bringing to the relationship before the wedding. Surprising your partner with a $30,000 credit card bill as a wedding present is a sure-fire way to destroy trust. [...] Decide how to pay the bills. The first practical challenge of your financial "merger" is choosing joint or separate checking accounts - or both. The act of paying household expenses from one account is the ultimate "what’s mine is yours" statement.Some couples have no problem plunging into the responsibility and liability of a shared checking account. Others believe they are retaining their independence by keeping their checking accounts and financial identities separate.