Couples... do you count your partners debts too or do you only consider your own??

Pidge_jen

As I took on some of my partners debt (the credit card balance) as he had trashed his rating, and I still had plenty of 0% deals on offer, I consider that a joint debt (despite the fact I've paid all of it off so far!) - we both have personal loans that I consider separate, but there's hardly any difference in the amounts we owe on them anyway. He has a credit card with the remainder of his debt on which I consider his, and he pays this off exclusively.
We have kept separate accounts,simply because he is paid weekly and I am paid monthly and we found it too confusing to merge them. So we worked out how much the bills were, worked out what half each was then took the corresponding amount of bills into each account. We have access to each other's accounts tho and quite often move money backwards and forwards. I used to want a joint account but I think this works better for us.

James_B.

dano17439 wrote: »

Mine and my wifes income is pooled, so therefore if we had any debt, that would also be pooled. Really cant understand married couples who have there own separate money. Your are supposed to be a unit, a team, a partnership and everything is a joint venture if you have a happy successful marriage

"Supposed to"?

Can you point out to me where the rulebook is on things like this, a I'd naively assumed that each couple rather had the right to arrange their lives as they chose.

I'm worried to find out that we've been doing it wrong all these years.

AleMrsT

We have our own debts, his from living beyond his means on a pitiful wage in an expensive City, mine from sheer bad luck and having no clue about budgeting. I pay mine, he pays his. We have separate accounts (can't have a joint one because of OH's IVA). I do want to set up a third account, that we each pay an equal amount of money into to cover the house bills, but this would have to go in my name (see above), so OH 'doesnt see the point as we'll still have the same amount of money going out'. Still working on it with him though!

Indout96

Everything we have ever had is ours (debt before and credit now) there has been nothing his/hers since we got married 32 years ago. The only separate items we have are ISA's as we cannot have them under 1 name.

Puddylove

I don't live with my boyfriend, so no, debts are not shared.
We do talk about our finances, and he's very supportive but I try to keep things equal between us.

In the past I helped my ex with his debts, only to find he was a cheating snake, so I won't be making that mistake twice - but nor do I expect a man to pay for me.

lewpster

I consider my own debts only. My other half has debts too - he doesn't really know the extent of mine and it will stay that way as I got in this pickle and I need to sort it out.

Gonzo1987

My debts are my own, I got them prior to meeting my hubs so don't see them as anything to do with him what so ever.

Meatloaf1981

My debts are my own and I know my wife also has 3 credit cards and a loan that she is responsible for. I am aware of the balances on each of her debts and she is aware I am on a DMP for mine. The difference is, she can afford minimum repayments on her debts, whereas I can't, hence my DMP. She earns half what I do and the debts were by and large run-up as a result of me selling my flat for £32k less than I bought it for 5 years previously, so I don't expect her to contribute beyond her means.

She remains a work-in-progress with regards her debts though as she does this annoying thing of paying off, say, £150 off her credit card, then spent £50 on it during the month, making it harder work for her. Keep trying to take it off her! That said, she is paying down her loan entirely successfully and managing the other two credit cards by not spending any more on them.

My DMP continues to chip away at my debt by about £230 a month, but I hope this will change when my pay rises over the next couple of years.

bargainbetty

Debt that is incurred as a couple for the benefit of the couple should be shared as a couple.

I have no intention of paying off someone else's previously raised debt, nor would I dream of asking them to pay off mine. Being a couple is just as much about respecting boundaries as it is sharing things - why would I expect a new partner to pay off debts incurred before they knew me? (I don't have any now, but that's not the point)

Divingmad

Hi All,

Both my OH and I has debts that were accumulated before we got together, therefore we have kept them separate. We have differing views on paying them off (I want to pay mine and am getting them sorted) whereas she has defaulted and can't be bothered to pay them.
I guess she hasn't had that LBM yet that says she needs to pull her finger out and do something