How Does Marriage Affect Your Retirement Plans? [Video]

Marriage is about so much more than a wedding. While you daydream about your future home, family, and trips, it’s also a great time to talk about what you want your retirement to look like and how you will achieve that vision.

The median age for a first marriage, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is 30.5 for men and 28.6 for women. This data means that many of today’s couples are entering wedded life with some working years under their belts and perhaps some prior retirement savings and/or debt. 

Given these realities and your desires to realize your dreams, it’s important to consider how the financial changes that accompany marriage may affect your retirement planning. 

Combining finances is one of the most complex parts of joining lives with a significant other, especially when “a lot of couples today bring debt to the marriage,” says Erin Willcutt, a financial advisor …