Each couple has different views on this. For 18 years, we have always had joint accounts. Up until a year or so ago, I have not had income since I was a stay at home mom. He trusts me implicitly with the money. In fact, when his checks come in the mail, he rarely sees them. I sign them for him and deposit them when I go to the bank. We laugh that if he ever actually signed his checks, they would think he forged the signature. We have always had the same ideas about money and we never have to ask the other person what they used the money for or how much they used. Now that I have been making my own money, it gets tossed into the account with everything else. We do talk about big ticket items (like $2,000 or more) together and decide if we are going to buy them but everything else, we just buy it if we want to without consulting the other.

I know some couples where the wife/husband gets an "allowance". Some couples enjoy having their money separate so they can spend without having to explain it to their partner. Our situation though has worked great for us. Maybe you could keep separate accounts but do one joint account for savings. It's good you're getting these things figured out before marriage though. Money can be such a source of conflict for couples. Good luck in finding the right situation for both of you!

We have 2 joint accounts, but we each use just one.  We have divided up bills and other outgoing money.  It works for us. In 17 years of marriage, we have NEVER had a fight over money.  We have never bunced checks and all payments are mailed on time.  We both follow our own budget and we both add to a savings account.  I figure if it ain't broken......

We have joint accounts, with my husband keeping charge of the finances. Basically, we put our day job checks into the general fund, and anything extra is the respective person's to spend how they wish.  (The hub invests it in the meantime and lets me know in what manner.) However, we consider all money both of ours, so if one of us feels the other should hold off on a purchase, the other person does. If one of us makes a purchase, we can do so independently of the other, but we always bring it up with the other person because we value their opinion and want to make sure we didn't overlook anything. Finances haven't been a big area of contention with either of us.

Since the hub is in charge of the finances, he'll give me a heads up if he's taking money from savings (his or mine) for something, whether it be a big purchase or to renew a CD or whatever. He always laughs, because I like to see a financial report on everything, so he works away at it, then I get it, take 20 seconds to get the gist of it, then go "looks good."

All of our accounts are joint, checking and savings, the house is in both names, the cars are in both names, all credit cards are in both names, the utilities are in both names.  We got married to be together so we are.

We do each have accounts where each of us is the primary person, the one listed first, the main contact.  I especially wanted that so my sweetie would have a credit rating early on.  On the cars, one has her name first and the other has my name first.  We each have a checking account with both names on it, just one reversed from the other, but money flows freely to where ever it is needed.  It's our money, not separate your money vs my money.

We can spend money without asking the other person.  But if its a really big purchase, with to us is over a couple hundred dollars, we always tell each other. If it's a really big purchase, with I guess is something like 500 or so and up, we always tell the other person first because we want the other person to agree that it's an OK thing to spend our money on.  You notice I didn't say they had to be thrilled about it, they just have to be OK with it.

When we first got our "adult jobs" I made much more money than my wife, I had the long hours, I had the good benefits, I had an important position with a big organization, with all the perqs and the headaches.  Now it's reversed, but it has never mattered.  It's our money together.  I do have the added understanding  of why late workdays just about every day are necessary, and about the responsibilities and the stress, because I've been there.

I have never quite understood totally separate accounts, and then one house account.  I was hoping someone here might chime in and explain that, so I can better understand.  Right now the thought of intentionally keeping the other person isolated from how money is being spent makes me cringe.  Makes me wonder what is being hidden and why.  Make me worry about gambling and drug problems.  Our comingled finances reflects our marriage where we tell each other just about everything.

Also can lead to for better comingling in other ways, too. (Sorry, that last sentence probably wasn't necessary but I couldn't resist.)

I'm always curious about this.  Everybody makes it work differently.  We've had all joint accounts since before we were married.  The main reason was that we were so poor, but when we put our money together, it looked like more.  I know it's silly, but we were 23 - so it made sense.  Also, we were getting tired of splitting bills and writing eachother checks.

We also have both our names on everything, and even while in most two car couples, one car belongs to one and the other to the other, we both use both cars for different reasons.  So it's not "your car" or "my car" it's "the black car" or "the blue car."   People think that's kind of strange.