Do Married People Have Separate Bank Accounts?

My wife and I will be married 15 years in June.  I remember exactly when our finances merged.  It was when I asked her to marry me.  Instead of buying Red Sox box seats to see Pedro vs. Roger...my paycheck started going towards things like scented candles for wedding favors, photographer, videographer, catering and upgraded golden chairs for the reception.  Our money merged when we started saving for the wedding and we never looked back.  Honestly, we never even talked about it.  We both started paying those monster wedding bills, which were followed by rent checks and car payments.  While I can think of a few very practical advantages to separate accounts (the biggest being that you could actually surprise your spouse with a gift without them seeing activity in the bank account)...I couldn't even imagine not sharing our money.  I'm not saying married couples who don't share their money are weird...but I am saying that it would be VERY weird for us.

When it comes to finances...which couple are you most like?

The Splitters:  Tasha Ryan is on her second marriage.

 "He was a life long bachelor and I was a divorced single mom (with no child support or alimony) for the first 15 years together (living together)...we each have our own accounts and pay our own bills (phone, cars, cc, etc)...been married a year and currently still the same...mortgage and household bills and repairs are on me, the house was (still is) in my name and I have 4 out of the 5 people living in it that are my responsibility...but to "paying something" he pays the second mortgage every month...and usually treats when we "go out"...very separate...not my "dream" way of doing things, and not what I did in my first marriage, but it works for us!!"  --Tasha

The On Again Off Agains:  Jacki Kinsman.  Jackie is Tasha's sister.  She has a different take on her finances with her fiance.

Not married, yet, but have shared finances since the beginning of our relationship once we moved in together. When we started I made more so I paid more and he paid his own bills (phone, car ins, one credit card) now he makes more and I pay my own bills and he pays rent and "our bills" (cable, joint cell phone, joint credit card). We spend what we want when we want I guess unless it was a huge amount and then we would discuss. Once I return to working full time I assume we will split financial responsibility again but we both have the mind set that all of our money is OUR money and not mine or his; however neither one of us is a stickler for not treating ourselves which is both good and bad!  LOL --Jacki Kinsman

What's Mine Is Ours:  Another Jackie, Jackie Bruno is a reporter for NBC Boston.  She told us that she originally wanted to keep their accounts separate, but they ended up merging.

 For about a year of our marriage I wanted to keep our separate accounts... Mostly because I didn't want my husband to know how much I go to chipotle.

But then once we merged- I blissfully relinquished all concern over it which was freeing. Now he just tells me when we're poor and I have to stop shopping. --Jackie Bruno

Best of Both Worlds:  Theresa Martin thinks she has the solution.

We have 3 accounts. One is mine where my check goes, one is his where his check goes & one is mutual where we can both put money in & use it.  --Theresa  Martin

Courtney Gunderson agrees.

Joint checking for bills and we have our own for when we want to purchase each other something such as a gift without the other being able to see where it came from. We mostly do this for Christmas time.  --Courtney Gunderson