Smart Couples Finish Rich, Revised and Updated: 9 Steps to Creating a Rich Future for You and Your Partner

by David Bach

The Automatic Millionaire is the ideal book for young people to read (teens and college students). This is my best, simplest, most accessible book. You can read it in less than 90 minutes and put the plan in place in less than an hour—and be set for life.

Most successful long-term relationships share similar traits. Having worked closely with hundreds of couples, I’ve noticed over the years what the really strong ones have in common. They recognize the vital importance of patience and compromise. They possess common values and goals. But perhaps most striking of all, the really solid couples, the ones who seem happiest and most fulfilled, all seem to have dedicated their lives together to some greater purpose. This greater purpose can be many things. For some couples, it’s a religious calling. For others, it’s a charity or some community project.

Each partner needs his or her own money.

Financial planning is not something you master in a day or a week or even a month. It’s a lifelong journey, and as is the case with many long journeys, it’s often best to hire yourself a guide.

Why do successful people like these hire coaches? Because they know that to achieve extraordinary results you’ve got to keep learning, and a good coach makes learning a lot easier. A good coach gives you honest feedback and objective criticism, and can often see things about you that you can’t. In my own practice, my greatest value to some clients is simply in being honest and providing a wall off which they can bounce ideas.

The fastest way to stop worrying about money is to work on your money together. The best way to do it is to plan a Money Date™.

most couples talk about money at the wrong time. Most couples talk about money reactively. Most couples talk about money when they’re paying the bills.

The secret to being a smart couple who lives and finishes rich is that you work on your finances proactively as a team. You plan time to talk before there’s an emergency.

What’s a Money Date? It’s a designated time during which the two of you agree to discuss your financial life and work on it.

Lastly, I recommend, as time goes on, that you plan an annual Money Date, like a Money Date Anniversary. Many couples schedule this around their anniversary or around the time of their annual financial review with their trusted financial advisor.