What’s your best investment pick for
2014? Is it high-tech like Apple or
Google, oil such as Exxonmobil, or
banks like JPMorganChase? While all
of those companies are
recommended by experts, your most
trusted investment pick for 2014 is
actually your marriage. While
investments, by nature, carry with it
a risk, the dividends you’ll receive by
investing in your relationship will
yield both immediate and long-term
results.
Here are four reasons why
investing in your marriage will
actually make you more money than
last year.
1. A bad marriage is expensive
Not only will divorce drain your
assets by splitting your disposable
income in two, not to mention all of
the lawyer fees, but the tumultuous
period leading up to the divorce may
also harm you financially. Men or
women who are planning a divorce
are often thinking ahead about their
future and want to make sure they
are as financially secure as possible.
This may mean spending money on
clothes or to furnish a new
apartment before divorce is official
and the joint credit cards and bank
accounts have been cancelled. Once
you get divorced, whatever you have
left will be limited. I’ve even had
divorce lawyers tell me that they
recommend their clients stay
together as divorce is too expensive!
A bad marriage and subsequent
divorce is the worst investment you
could possibly make.
2. A bad marriage will make you less
productive.
If your marriage is bad, you’ll be
dealing with constant stress in your
life. It will disrupt your productivity
as you may have to interrupt your
workday frequently to deal with
arguments with your spouse over
the phone or email. Even if you are
not directly dealing with your
conflict, your concentration at work
is likely to be disturbed. The stress of
not getting along is also likely to
drain you emotionally and
physically. When our brain is under
stress, we can’t perform optimally
and are unable able to harness all of
our cognitive resources and apply
them to the task at hand. While work
certainly has its own share of stress
and challenges, if you have a good
relationship with your spouse, you
won’t have the added stress of a bad
marriage thrown into the mix.
3. A bad marriage will incur more
debt
One of the secrets to responsible
financial planning for couples is
good communication. When couples
are not on the same page, they’ll
spend money on items that may not
be in line with their shared goals. For
example, if you aren’t able to come
to a meaningful conclusion of where
to send your child to college, you
could risk paying at least $30,000 a
year more for tuition if your kid goes
to a private school. When couples
can communicate and work out their
differences, they are able to spend
wisely and not resent each other for
their expenses.
4. A good marriage will build wealth
When couples experience tension in
their relationship, they often do
their best to avoid each other. This
may mean both partners work for
long hours, requiring more money
for childcare and babysitting.
Depending on their salary, tax
bracket, and childcare costs, it may
be cheaper for one spouse to stay
home. For those spouses that may be
entrepreneurs, building a good
marriage could help build your
wealth. You may be able to use your
talents and collaborate together to
build the type of business you may
not have been able to build if your
resources were diverted elsewhere.
The financial liabilities of a bad
marriage are clear. Investing in your
marriage to make it great will spare
you the emotional and financial
costs of divorce, allow you to be
more focused and productive, help
you make sounder financial
decisions together, and even
possibly work together with your
partner to generate more income.
The time and energy you invest into
creating a good marriage is the
surest investment you can make for
the coming year. With best wishes
for your relationship success.
Your views are most welcome...
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