Money as a couple and a family

Talk about money as a couple, set up accounts and splits you both accept, and protect your household when life changes.

Couples rarely fall out over a single big purchase. They fall out over the slow stuff: who pays for groceries, why one person's parents get more, what happens to the savings if one of you stops work to look after a baby. This course gives you a way to talk about money before it becomes a fight, a model for combining accounts and splitting costs that both of you think is fair, and the protection a household needs when one income stops, a parent gets ill, or the relationship ends. It also covers teaching your children about money as they grow.

What you'll be able to do

• Exchange a written money snapshot with your partner covering income, debts, CPF, obligations and goals
• Choose a joint, separate or hybrid account model and set up the money flows for it
• Calculate an equal and a proportional split of shared costs and agree one
• Stress-test your household budget for one partner stopping work and list the cover it needs
• Write a parent support plan that sets your contribution and how siblings share the load
• Write a family estate checklist covering wills, CPF and insurance nominations, guardianship and an LPA
• Draft a household money agreement that you review together on a fixed date

Syllabus

Module 1: Have the first money conversation

Prepare and hold a first money conversation with your partner that shares income, debts, CPF, obligations and goals, without it becoming a fight.

• 1.1 What to put on the table before you combine anything
• 1.2 Why the two of you react differently to the same bill
• 1.3 Run the conversation without it turning into a fight
• 1.4 Exchange money snapshots and agree what is next

Module 2: Choose joint, separate or hybrid accounts

Compare the three ways couples hold money, choose one that suits your incomes and habits, and set up the accounts and transfers that make it run.

• 2.1 Three account models and what each one makes easy or hard
• 2.2 How joint accounts work, and what to check with your bank
• 2.3 Set up the money flows: salary in, shared pot, personal spending
• 2.4 Choose your model and set it up

Module 3: Split shared costs in a way you both think is fair

Decide what counts as a shared cost and how to split it, comparing equal and income-proportional splits, and account for contributions that are not cash.

• 3.1 Equal splits and proportional splits, worked through
• 3.2 What counts as a shared cost
• 3.3 Unpaid work and contributions that are not cash
• 3.4 Build your split calculator

Module 4: Protect the household when one partner stops working

See what changes when a household goes from two incomes to one, protect the earning partner, and keep the other partner's own savings growing.

• 4.1 What changes when one income stops
• 4.2 Protect the partner who earns
• 4.3 Keep the non-earning partner's own savings growing
• 4.4 Run a one-income stress test

Module 5: Support ageing parents without sinking your own plans

Plan how much you can give your parents now and later, what their care might cost, which government support applies, and how siblings share it.

• 5.1 The sandwich years: three demands on one income
• 5.2 What care costs and the support schemes to check
• 5.3 Share the load with your siblings
• 5.4 Build a parent support plan

Module 6: Teach your children about money at each age

Teach children about money in steps that suit their age, from waiting for something they want to running a bank account and spotting scams.

• 6.1 Ages three to six: money runs out and waiting is a skill
• 6.2 Ages seven to twelve: pocket money and simple choices
• 6.3 Teenagers: accounts, earning, phones and scams
• 6.4 Write a family money plan for your children

Module 7: Set up the basics if one of you dies or cannot decide

Put in place the documents a family needs: wills, CPF and insurance nominations, guardianship for young children and a Lasting Power of Attorney.

• 7.1 What happens to your money without a will
• 7.2 CPF and insurance nominations sit outside your will
• 7.3 Choose who looks after your children and who decides for you
• 7.4 Your family estate checklist

Module 8: Look after your money through separation or divorce

Understand how money, the home, CPF and children's costs are handled when a marriage ends, and take practical steps to protect yourself during separation.

• 8.1 How matrimonial assets are divided
• 8.2 The home, CPF and the children: practical decisions
• 8.3 Protect yourself during separation
• 8.4 Your separation money checklist

Frequently asked questions

How long does the course take?

About eight hours across eight modules, including the exercises. Several exercises need your partner, so most couples finish in four to six weeks.

Can I take it without my partner?

Yes. You can do the exercises alone and use them to prepare for conversations. The course works best when both partners do the joint exercises.

How is this different from Retirement & Estate?

This course covers the estate basics every family needs, such as wills, nominations, guardianship and an LPA. Retirement & Estate covers estate planning in depth.

Is this financial or legal advice?

No. The course is education. It teaches how to make your own decisions and never tells you which product to buy. For advice on your situation, speak to a licensed financial adviser, and for wills or divorce, a lawyer.

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