of things to cover during your discussion: list of bank accounts to combine ow much is "too much" to spend without consulting the other partner mock budget why you really want to combine -- is it a good reason? bank account buffers cash vs. credit vs. debit spending combining all or just some accounts? A couple words of caution: For one, do not combine finances after your first and only money talk. This decision should come after a long time (years) of developing trust and having open conversations about finances. Secondly, and very importantly, remember that married couples can lean on the legal system to separate their finances in the event of a divorce; unmarried couples don't (usually) have a legal system to separate their finances if they separate. In other words, if you're not married, put all your money into a joint account, and your partner dumps you and drains the account, you could be both heartbroken and broke. So if you do combine finances before marriage: Don't combine everything! Leave some accounts separate. Create a simple contract that outlines what savings accounts and investments belong to each other (and what will be divided 50/50) before you actually combine any money. It may or may not help you legally recover funds in the event of a nasty breakup, but it's better than nothing. Is it okay to keep financial secrets? No! Okay, sorry, that was my gut reaction. In my very humble opinion, I think you should put everything