Need some financial advice? Let us help you start a budget, save money, and manage your credit cards to avoid overspending. We even have tips on how to merge your money after you get hitched! Can't decide whether to have joint or separate accounts? We can help with that too.

We’ve all seen the commercials. That oddly cute pirate-guy-sans-bike singing about sad circumstances that led him to be in his current shabby living situation due to his poor credit score. It sounds like it’s a free service, right? I mean, it says it right there in the song. The dude even spells it out (“F to the R to the E to the E to the C to the R to the E-D-I-T�); why would he lie?

But an article in The New York Times this week claims that not only is Mr. FreeCreditReport.com lying about his service’s lack of fees, but many, many other companies are profiting from the credit report monitoring service charge business. One such company, Experian, which owns FreeCreditReport.com, has paid over $1.25 million to the government over the past five years to settle charges of false claims regarding “free� reports. The government has even launched a series of counter ads to attack Experian, which can be seen at FTC.gov/freereports.

According to Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org and a former member of Experian’s consumer advisory panel, you only need to check your credit score about every four months -- anything beyond that ventures into paranoia. The government requires the three major credit bureaus -- Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion -- to provide one free report annually to consumers. Unfortunately, these bureaus saw a chance to capitalize on the growing insanity over identity theft, the need for mortgages and loans, and other consumer concerns about credit, and they were able to induce customers to pay nominal fees to receive monthly credit report monitoring.

If you’re worried about falling prey to one of these “free� credit report scams, The Times has a great interactive piece about all the major credit bureaus, their credit report sites, and whether or not they are actually free. We recommend sticking with the government’s own site, AnnualCreditReport.com, and taking the FreeCreditReport.com commercials for entertainment value only!

You love your spouse, but when it comes to money, ever find yourselves in opposite corners…with boxing gloves on? Chalk it up to bad timing. “People are getting married later on average, which means they’re entering the relationship with more financial baggage than ever before,â€� says Beth Kobliner, author of Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties. “You’ve racked up savings as well as debt, and developed personal spending habits that are hard to change." Here’s how to not let it derail your twosome:

Hot Button 1: Opposite Spending Styles
When a spender and a saver get together, it’s a recipe for resentment. How can you not roll your eyes when he overspends or when she overreacts about each cent you blow?

Cool it:
First, stop harping on her shoe-shopping syndrome or his gadget-buying fixation. You’re never going to turn a spender into a penny-pincher, but you can reach a middle ground. “Agree on a set monthly amount you can each put toward a fun purchase that the other can’t veto,� Kobliner says. “The spender won’t feel controlled, and the saver can sock away cash for a more practical, big-picture buy down the road.�

Hot Button 2: Student Loans
You love how smart your significant other is…if only that freakin’ degree didn’t dump $100,000 of student loan debt in your mailbox.

Cool it:
Just like you can’t adore your partner’s hair but hate their nose, you can’t pick and choose what financial circumstances you want them to have. “You need to accept the full package -- the good and bad,� says Kobliner. What if you feel the pinch too much right now? “Extend the life of the loan,� advises Kobliner. “You’ll pay a little more interest over time but it will give you both a breather in the short term.�

Most experts recommend having two to five cards total: one or two joint cards and one to three cards in your own name. With a joint card, you’ll only have to pay the fixed costs (like annual fees) once. Be sure to agree on a monthly limit for each of you that’s within your budget. Then keep separate cards (listing the other person as an authorized user), so you have your own financial identity.

Want to save money? Here are easy tips to save on the bills that mock you every month.

So you've finally joined your pads together. What's next? Well, it's about time to figure out all the details when combining your dough. Use this checklist to sort out all the specifics.

Click here to download the PDF file

Checking
Start by listing out all current checking accounts with balances to determine which ones (if any) you’d like to merge into one account.

If You Decide to Merge Accounts:

• Transfer any automatic payments from canceled account to new account
• Visit bank office to cancel one account and add spouse to other account
• Order new checks with joint account information

If You Decide to Keep Separate Accounts:

• Decide if you want to allow each other access to both accounts
• Visit the bank office to add each other to your accounts
• Switch any automatic payments that need to be rerouted

Savings & Investments
Start by listing out all current accounts with balances and decide whether to merge accounts or allow joint access.

If You Decide to Merge Accounts:

• Visit bank office to set up any new access or accounts
• Contemplate new investments

If You Decide to Keep Separate Accounts:

• Look over your retirement accounts together, even though you won't be able to merge them
• Change any beneficiary information to your spouse

Credit Cards
List all credit cards and balances and decide which cards you’d like to keep. Also, decide if you want to add each other on as designated users of each other’s cards.

If You Decide to Get a Card for Joint Purchases:

• Open a new account
• Decide on parameters for purchases
• Set up a schedule for paying bills

Insurance

Car

• Pick the better car insurance plan and adjust your rate for a married couple

Health

• Compare health insurance plans and choose the better option

Life

• Decide how much life insurance you need and purchase a plan
• Insure your home/belongings as a married couple
• Investigate long-term care insurance policies
• Change any beneficiary information to your spouse

Loans

• List all student loans, car loans, mortgages, and other liabilities
• Talk to lending institutions about consolidating payments
• Discuss adding each other to the titles of cars, property, and other assets

Services

• Compare cell phone plans and pick your provider
• If you have two Internet service accounts, see how much you'd save if you combined
• Get rid of any duplicate accounts for cable, phone, etc.
• If you belong to different gyms, see if one offers a joint rate