5 Ways the Recession is Good for Your Marriage

Forget the notion that economic worries and stress cause strife within a marriage. Despite what you might think, there are a lot of ways that going through a recession together—and all the anxiety that comes with it—can actually be good for couples.

And no, we’re not just saying this because divorce rates are down—even though they are. The reasons a recession can be good for marriages are a lot more fun than that. After the jump, we’ve put together five of our favorite ways the recession is turning about to be pretty good news for a lot of married couples…

My Husband Loses Money on Stocks-And I Don’t Mind

My husband loves to play the stock market. He picks what he considers to be up-and-coming companies that few people have heard of yet, or undervalued blue chips, and buys up their shares. As he puts it, he likes feeling like he has an “ownership stake” in companies.

Sometimes, his strategy pays off. His initial investment of $5,900 more than doubled between 2005 and 2007. He bought Apple at $65 a share and watched it climb to $190. The start-up 24/7 RealMedia doubled and he sold it before it plunged. His oil companies enjoyed record profits. But he often loses big, too…

6 Steps to a Financially Successful Relationship

Money is a reliable source of tension in relationships, in both married couples and those not yet in wedded bliss. Karin Mizgala wrote an article in the Canadian Financial Post with suggestions about how couples can ward off money problems. She says:

While talking about money can be often be more difficult and emotionally charged than talking about sex, religion or politics, a simple conversation about money can save you a lot of tension and resentments throughout married life.

Below, we’ve expanded on Karin’s tips and come up with six steps to ensuring a financially successful union. Are you financially compatible?

1. Each person makes a list of their expenses. This includes regular monthly costs, like rent, groceries and the gym; major purchases you hope to make, say, a new car or flat screen TV; occasional expenses like clothing, restaurants and iced lattes; and a bit of padding for expenses you can’t account for.

Love to Spend? Your Best Match Should, Too

We’ve all heard (and perhaps lived by) the motto: opposites attract. Maybe we’ve only leaned on this old cliche in order to quiet naysayers and excuse an illogical attraction to somebody so obviously wrong. Opposites Attract When It Comes To Spending Money

A recent study by the University of Michigan proves (once again) that when it comes to spending and saving, those with a strong inclination to either financial style end up attracted to their opposite. Out of a pool of 1,000 married and unmarried adults, the researcher found this attraction has roots in the individual’s discomfort in his/her own ways. In other words, spendthrifts who feel extreme guilt for their extravagant ways tend to be attracted penny pinchers. A wild shopper who beats herself up for collecting racks of pricey shoes may find solace in the coupon-cutting mate who rationalizes holes in his sneakers in lieu of a heftier savings account…

Avoiding Money Fights with Your Mate

It’s no surprise that the recession has caused stress in people’s lives. Pressure of any sort has a negative impact on relationships, but financial strain can cause even more of a burden between loved ones. While the recession is affecting relationships worldwide, for some reason it’s having more of a negative impact on the marriages and relationships of American’s than in other countries. Read: Surviving A Breakup During The Recession

Reuters reported that in a recent poll, 30 percent of Americans attested to the recession adding stress or strain to their relationship or marriage—if not ruining it entirely. This compared to only 23 percent of Canadians, 24 percent of French and 12 percent of Germans admitting a similar effect…

Hedge Fund Husbands or Married to the Mob?

There has been some serious financial meshugas as of late, has there not? In short order, the bond rating agencies, banks, treasury, hedge funds, Federal Reserve and aggressively optimistic (and greedy) homeowners conspired to play Jenga with the house of cards that the American (world) economy was (is) perched upon. But it was really (says this guy) only a few Gordon Geckos that got us to this point. But what about their families?

When it comes time to pay the piper, Bernie Madoff’s family may not get off any easier than the Gottis got (though they may not land a spiky-haired reality TV gig). I read a good book once that said the sins of the father were visited on the son but made no mention of what the wife catches. Presumably, by hook or by crook, she visits whichever hell, heaven or purgatory that the husband earns.