From Him:
Short answer to this one is NO; married couples should not have separate bank accounts because it will only lead to problems. Finances is one of the major reasons couples get into arguments and end up splitting up because someone has a secret account somewhere. The Bible says, “and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one” - Mark 10:8. So if you are supposed to be one, why have two accounts? Now if you both had accounts before marriage, which you likely do, I am not saying that those have to be closed. You can just add each other’s name to those already existing accounts. This is also one of those issues that pretty much boils down to trust, if you really trust your spouse, you wouldn’t have a problem being open about your finances.
From Her:
I agree with “Him”. Married couples should not have separate accounts. First of all, my explanation on this matter comes from a biblical foundation that says that 1.) Marriage is forever and 2.) In marriage, a husband and wife are ONE unit!
Many people argue for separate accounts because they say, “you never know what can happen….people change……you should always have a little something just in case something happens”. Well, being one who fully believes in the Bible, I say, a God ordained marriage does not have to worry about any of the above statements because God doesn’t change, and a couple in a God ordained marriage will honor God’s principles (remember the vows? For richer or poorer…till death do us part…). Things will not always be perfect. But, that is not an excuse to “protect” yourself. Trying to hold on to ‘self’ and protect ‘self’ shows a lack of trust in your spouse and faith in God. In marriage, there is no ‘self’ because two become ONE! In addition, a secret, separate account is dishonest (not a good way to start a marriage).
Now, I have heard of couples who upon marriage kept separate accounts but gave each other full access to their individual accounts while opening a joint account. So, they combine incomes, put a percentage in savings, a percentage in checking for household things and a percentage in their individual accounts. I believe that this method could work.
Ultimately, communication is key! Use the word of God, wisdom, and Godly counsel prior to marriage to figure things out before marriage. This will prevent some of the common financial pitfalls that drive some couples to divorce!
