Money and Relationships
The Key to Financially Ever After? A Solid Financial Start.
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Premarital Financial Wellbeing Coaching
Mariah Hudler, MSW, MBA, CFT-I ™
Money and Relationships
Whether you are getting married or in a relationship, money and relationships go hand in hand. Relationship intimacy is built on trust, transparency, and communication, equally, financial intimacy requires the same.
Financial differences and conflict can erode financial and emotional intimacy in your relationship. Let me help you avoid financial heartache before it becomes a problem.
Money and Relationships: Where it all begins
In relationships, there is love and there are dreams - maybe travel, homeownership, philanthropy, building a family, or living debt free - yet there is the voice in the background that nudges you and says, "I'm not sure how to get there, it sounds great but how do we get there" or "I really wish we were on the same page about money" or "I don't think I had the best money role models growing up, how can we do things differently?". I offer this video that speaks to my husband and I’s first conversation about money when we were dating here.
Having different views on money is absolutely normal and does not mean that you are not compatible. However, what I have seen as well as what research indicates, over and over, is not communicating intentionally (having a plan) can lead to misunderstandings, resentment, trust issues, and fighting that can can erode your relationship.
But, you are here because you want to be intentional about the role of money in your relationship.
You're in the right place.
Money and Relationships: Trust, Transparency & Communication
Imagine a relationship where you speak openly and freely about money thus reducing stress, frustration, and misunderstandings.
You are able to identify key points in each others past related to money including each others first money memories, the role of money in each others families, and what is important to spend on. You have even shared your fears about money.
Heck, you actually find it fun to talk about money because you are transparent about debt, savings, and your short and long-term goals. And, you have the systems in place to help you reach and celebrate your goals.
Say goodbye to feeling stressed, overwhelmed, frustrated or nervous and hello to increased relationship and life satisfaction.
Let me help you build financial intimacy, safety, security, and wealth into your relationship.
See below how to work with me:
By the end of counseling you will:
have created a holistic couples financial wellbeing plan through increased intangibles such as connection to your partner, clarity around how to navigate money as a couple, and how to view money as a tool not a stress in your relationship.
As well, you will have tangibles such as money management tools to track your net worth, money, debt, goals, and a handy financial health schedule to keep you accountable.
Features of premarital financial wellbeing coaching include:
Money Mindset
- How to navigate money conversations.
- Your money story and how to use it to shape your narrative going forward.
- Your money beliefs and how to align them with positive financial health.
- You and your partner's money values.
Money Management
- Options for combining finances.
- Financial goal setting.
- Options for and completing a savings and spending plan.
- Options for debt management.
- How to navigate money conflicts.
Financial Health and Wealth
- How to design your Financial Wellbeing Plan
- Identify key systems and scheduling tools.
- Sustain wealth socially and emotionally.
Expert facilitation
My name is Mariah and I am a Certified Financial Therapist (CFT-I™) and Financial Wellbeing Coach who has been working with couples to build their financial and emotional balances in their relationships for the last 5 years. Premarital couples light me up!
My passion is people and their stories which ultimately include money and emotions. Each of us are unique and to come together with another unique individual is a journey.
Let me help you on yours so that money doesn’t become an issue.
I can tell you 100% my marriage and relationship is better for focusing on our relationship with money early on in the relationship. We have moved through many life transitions successfully including buying a house, having a baby, paying cash for a RV during COVID, dropping down to part-time, starting new businesses, financial independence, and my husband’s upcoming early retirement. We don’t come from money (hero single moms since the age of 5). We don’t make a lot of money. Rather, we got clear on our values, optimized our earning power/benefits, and have more or less stayed the course toward our goals.
My clients experience the same, financial intimacy, security, and clarity. They continue to work on and build their wealth.
It is a privilege to combine my experience and passion to provide you an intentional and transformational program that is backed by research and best practice. I, too, use this program as a guide for achieving financial independence.
My qualifications and experience span 20 years in human development, psychology, sociology, mental health, and personal finance. I have BA from UC San Diego, a Master of Social Welfare from UC Berkeley, and an Executive MBA from the University of Waikato in New Zealand. My coaching is informed by the Positive Intelligence model and my work with couples is informed by the Gottman Institute Level I training.
Premarital financial counseling is for you if you...
- you want to invest in your relationship to avoid money pitfalls
- are forward thinking about using money as a tool to enhance your wealth and life satisfaction
- are on different money pages with your partner; or
- are unsure how to navigate money conversations.
- are feeling stuck, frustrated, or resentful about how money is handled in your relationship and both want to do things differently.
- want to reduce the chance of misunderstanding, conflict, or trust issues related to money in your relationship.
- want to be intentional with your financial health and wealth.
- are early in your commitment, pre-marital, or early in your marriage and want to design your financial life together!
- or, are well set in your marriage and want to re-design your financial life together and both are committed to do so.
Is premarital financial counseling right for you right now?
Yes.
- Prevention is key. I love this quote by Neelie Kroes, "I can only encourage everyone to take a close look at their practices. Prevention is always better than cure".
- Counseling is a small investment with many, many years of return on investment.
- Counseling is 99% cheaper than divorce.
Who is premarital financial counseling for?
How much do you need to know about money/finances?
Financial counseling, coaching, or therapy? Which is best for me?
Join My Build Your Balance Community!
If you are tentative and want to check out more of what I do and offer, the best thing is to sign-up for the Build Your Balance Community to receive a monthly Insights.
