Financial Intimacy: How to Create a Healthy Relationship with Your Money and Your Mate

by Jacquette M. Timmons

There is a commonly held perception that we don’t talk about money. Actually, we talk about it all the time—we are just having the wrong conversation. The finances fracture and even destroy many relationships.   In this timely book, money expert Jacquette M. Timmons addresses the financial issues that couples face, examining how family background, personal choices, and socioeconomic and cultural influences affect the way women merge love and money. Encouraging women first to explore their own relationship with money, she provides a framework for an honest exchange of information so partners can understand each other’s personal financial stories, the many emotions money elicits in them, and their financial preferences, prejudices, and tolerance levels.   In these uncertain economic times, more and more couples are learning the hard way that a lack of financial intimacy can sabotage even the best relationships. Timmons gives women the tools they need to take the lead in the financial dialogue so they can live wealthy and well with their partner—in good times and bad.

Genres: Finance

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boy did I not realize this book was written for African-American women. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the title and/or subtitle could have been a little more informative in this regard.

The best thing about the book is that the author points out that we don't manage money or time, we manage decisions. Money and time are finite, unchangeable quantities that are measured, so choices about money and time are what we are actually managing.

The worst thing about the book is that the author is obsessed with the grammatical device "so and so in general, and so and so in particular." She uses is about every other page. "Investments in general, and large cap stocks in particular... Your relationship with men in general, and with your partner in particular... The history of women in general, and African-American women in particular." Sheesh, find a different phrasing once in a while.

Quotes:

It's just as dangerous to presume a high earner is also proficient with managing money as it is to presume someone with a modest income, perhaps due to his chosen profession, is not.

Beyond the alarm, what makes you get up in the morning?

[Vonetta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I might recommend to those considering getting engaged, but there's nothing here that's not covered in good pre-marital counseling. It's full of depressing stories about Black women who have made relationship mistakes regarding money. I think you're supposed to learn from them, but the lessons are pretty obvious (e.g., don't lie to your spouse about the amount of debt you have).

[Bromography Bromography · Rating 5 out of 5]

Financial Intimacy is an excellent guide for approaching the awkward issues surrounding finances in a relationship. It spurred me to re-assess my own attitudes toward money.

[Mr Merriweather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this for my fiance and ended up finishing it first. It was helpful in giving us a firm basis.

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too basic for my purposes but overall good solid information and conversation starter.