Smart Money: When to Merge Finances with a Partner and When to Keep Separate

Discover the answers to your real-world money questions on the Smart Money podcast from NerdWallet!^[0] This week, we’re discussing when it’s appropriate to merge finances with a spouse or partner, or when it’s better to keep things separate. Our guest this week is Danny, who contacted us with a question about closing one of his oldest lines of credit.^[1] Danny and his wife have combined their credit cards, and now they’re looking to consolidate them by closing some of them. Danny is hesitant to close his oldest line of credit, because he’s heard it’s not good for his credit score.

The Nerds are here to answer Danny’s question, and they offer important advice when it comes to merging finances and closing credit cards. First, they caution Danny to be careful when closing a credit card account, because it can hurt his credit score. Instead, they suggest he consider asking for a product change instead.^[2] Tune in to this week’s episode of Smart Money to hear the Nerds’ advice on merging finances, and how to handle Danny’s credit card dilemma.

You can find Smart Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many other streaming services. You can also find the episode on our website, NerdWallet.com, alongside other informative articles and advice on personal finance.

0. “Smart Money: ChatGPT vs. the Nerds, and Rental Properties” NBC Right Now, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.nbcrightnow.com/national/smart-money-chatgpt-vs-the-nerds-and-rental-properties/image_527fed4f-a1e6-5760-8be4-8aa236c38d62.html

1. “Smart Money: When to Merge Finances — or Not” McDuffie Progress, 13 Feb. 2023, https://www.mcduffieprogress.com/news/national/smart-money-when-to-merge-finances-or-not/article_3db8eded-278a-5ee3-903b-b990b325562c.html

2. “Smart Money: When to Merge Finances — or Not” FOX 11 and FOX 41, 13 Feb. 2023, https://www.fox41yakima.com/smart-money-when-to-merge-finances-or-not