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BUSINESS Saturday 14 September 2019
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Millennial Money: #couplegoals start with a money summit

By KELSEY SHEEHY honestly about any chal-
Associated Press lenges getting in the way
Spreadsheets and savings of your goals.
goals aren’t sexy. That’s —Earth: This is the big pic-
probably why great love ture stuff — your goals and
stories, when retold, don’t visions for the future, and
delve into household fi- any steps you need to take
nances. But money is a to achieve them.
central part of any relation- Stick to your time, even if
ship. And how you deal with you don’t get to everything
it (or don’t) can determine on your agenda. Better to
whether your own tale is a carry things over than to
short story or a novel. carry on for hours, getting
“Getting on the same page tired and frustrated as the
financially is crucial to be- meeting drags on.
ing happy and having a “You’re not going to solve
long-lasting marriage,” says everything in the first meet-
Marie O’Keefe, a financial ing, or the third, or maybe
advisor at Northwestern even the 10th,” O’Keefe
Mutual. says. “Write down the
That’s not just lip service. A things you still need to talk
whopping 82% of engaged about and come away
and newly married cou- from each meeting with an
ples say they feel closer to action plan.”
their mate when they’re in In this June 27, 2018, file photo a couple is silhouetted against moonlight reflecting off the Missouri 3. SET THE MOOD
agreement about money, River as they watch the full moon rise beyond downtown buildings in Kansas City, Mo. Turn off your phones. Turn
according to a survey by Associated Press off the TV. Turn on some mu-
Northwestern Mutual and and financial goals, like an hour or even 30 min- “Have some ‘me’ time or sic. Pour yourselves a drink
The Knot. saving for a house, retire- utes — Marla Mattenson , some ‘us’ time built into the — wine, beer, White Claw,
But that same survey found ment, vacation, a baby or a relationship expert, has after-meeting time.” you pick. Sit down next to
that only 37% of couples all of the above. a 15-minute check-in ev- 2. HAVE AN AGENDA each other and talk.
actually talk about their That first meeting might be ery Friday with her partner Giving your summit some “You want to get into the
finances monthly. If that a doozy — you have a lot — but some topics warrant structure will make it easier good vibes of your relation-
sounds like you and your of ground to cover and more time and attention. to stay on task. Mattenson ship unit,” Mattenson says.
partner, it’s time to sched- potentially some financial If you’re butting heads on a likes the “rose, bud, thorn, “Sitting next to each other,
ule a money summit. baggage to unpack — but financial goal, for example, earth” approach. it’s like the two of you work-
“I’m a huge proponent of once you get into a groove, or need to make major ad- — Rose: Start with the stuff ing together on an issue,
financial summits . espe- your summits will get easier. justments to your budget, that’s going well. Did you rather than against each
cially when you’re moving These guidelines can keep debt or retirement plan, stick to your budget or hit other.”
in with each other or get- your talk on track, even give yourselves enough a savings goal? Celebrate Agree to be honest, kind
ting engaged, because when things get uncom- time to unpack those is- that! and judgment-free. And
that’s when your lives begin fortable. sues. — Bud: Next, move onto be attentive to any tension
to merge,” O’Keefe says. 1. PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR Mattenson suggests build- new things to consider. Do bubbling up. If you’re get-
If you’re combining house- Don’t spring a major finan- ing in some buffer time, so you want to get a puppy? ting tense or your partner
holds, you need to tackle cial conversation on your you’re not going straight Need a new car? Did you is getting defensive, call a
day-to-day tasks like mak- partner. Instead, schedule from your summit into din- just get hit with a big medi- timeout. Acknowledge the
ing a budget and divvying it so you both can come to ner with friends. cal bill? Now’s the time to tension, defuse it (a hug
up financial responsibilities. the table prepared men- “You might have emotions figure out how that fits into does wonders, Mattenson
You also need to hit the big tally and emotionally. you need to deal with af- your financial plan. says) and get back to your
picture stuff, namely debt Not every summit needs ter the meeting,” she says. —Thorn: Talk openly and agenda.q
US stocks edge lower as tech drop offsets banks’ gains

By ALEX VEIGA and industrial stocks. Union Pacific added 2.2%.
Associated Press Bond yields rose sharply af- The decline in technology
Major U.S. stock indexes ter the government report- stocks marked a reversal
edged mostly lower in af- ed that Americans kept from Thursday, when the
ternoon trading Friday, giv- spending money in Au- sector led a broad market
ing up some of the market’s gust, particularly on cars. rally. Apple and Broadcom
gains from earlier in the The yield on the 10-year were the heaviest weights
week. Still, stocks were on Treasury rose to 1.88% from holding the sector down.
track for their third straight 1.79% late Thursday. Apple is among several big
weekly gain, having been That helped lift bank stocks, technology companies be-
bolstered in prior sessions which rely on higher yields ing asked for documents as
by an easing of tensions in to set interest rates and part of a Congressional an-
the U.S.-China trade war. make more money from titrust investigation. Apple
A slide in technology loans. JPMorgan rose 1.9% slid 2.5%. Chipmakers fell af-
stocks, along with losses and Citigroup rose 1.7%. ter Broadcom warned that
in consumer-focused and Industrial stocks notched demand remains weak
real estate companies, off- some of the strongest gains. and couldn’t project when Traders Edward Curran, left, and Gregory Rowe work on the floor
of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019.
set solid gains in financial Boeing climbed 1.4% and it will pick up again.q Associated Press