So you’re married. Congratulations! Isn’t life so blissful and easy now that you’ve found your one true love to stand by your side until the end of time? Wow, I almost couldn’t type that with a straight face! Don’t get me wrong–being in love does make life more, well, lovely. But I’m guessing that being the savvy person you are that you already know that marriage has a long list of road bumps, complications, compromises and conversations to be had. It doesn’t mean being a newlywed isn’t a blast–it should be!–but right now is the time to hammer out some important issues to pave the smoothest path possible as the two of you move ahead in your life together.

One of those issues, of course, is money. When you merge lives, you also merge varying degrees of financial entanglement. While this could possibly be fraught with stress, it doesn’t have to be. While your love is still booming and your slates are still clean, take a post-nuptial break to talk about these money matters with your beloved.

Basic financial feelings and values

Knowing how you’re going to tackle the financial issues that arise in your life together will be made much easier by knowing where you each stand on basic issues. Things like, whether your kids go to private or public school, how soon you want to purchase a home, major savings goals, how to save for retirement, etc. It’s important at this point to be very honest with one another about where your money priorities lie so you are both on the same page.

Credit scores

Ouch. Most people don’t even like to think about their credit score, let alone talk about it with someone else. But this is crucial step for newly married couples. Finding out exactly what your individual credit situations are like will be immeasurably useful when trying to strategically figure out how to maximize what you’re working with. You’re no longer on your own–when it comes to future purchases, like taking out a joint loan for a mortgage, both of your credit scores will matter. It’s better to address any problems and take advantage of any positive credit early.

Lay it all out there

If you haven’t crossed this bridge already, it’s time. Hold on, kids–it’s time to talk numbers. Get real with your partner about exactly what your financial picture looks like, from income to debt to investments, etc. Bottom lines need to be laid out on the table. This isn’t always comfortable for some people, but think about it like this: not only will this financial honesty help build a foundation for a strong fiscal future for your budding family, but it will also force you to take just one more step in getting closer to your new spouse! Who knew that old student loan debt could be so romantic?

Make a budget

Clear and simple. Prioritize. Look at what you have to work with. Set goals and limits and make sure you both feel comfortable with the plan–and then work as a team to make sure you stay within that budget, especially in the first few years when you’re working on major purchases like homes, building a nest egg, and starting a retirement account.

What belongs to whom?

I know that no one likes to even think about divorce when they’ve practically still got rice in their hair, but figuring out what property belongs to what party is important. It can stave off potential future fights even if you don’t get divorced. And making a clear, careful list of “what’s mine and what’s yours” is important and practical–you guys are too smart to ignore a 50% national divorce rate, right? That said, I’m sure you’ll never need this list. But just in case.

What do you think?

What money issues did you tackle when you got married? Engaged? What financial concerns do you have leading up to the big day?