Money Monday

4/9/12

Planning our wedding is far more than choosing flowers, food, and fabric.  For us, we're planning our life together.  Our marriage.  I just moved back in with my fiancé after finishing school.  One of my biggest concerns at the the moment is consolidating our finances, paying my student loans, and finding a job.

It's stressful, but our open communication is helping us organize and figure things out.  Step one was to find a bank where we can open a joint account.  There are a lot of different things to consider when finding a bank.  For us, here are the important points to consider:

1. Location - Is there a branch near by?  Are there ATM's with 24-hour access?  Are there other branches in the area?  My fiancé and I work in different towns and we like to travel, so having our bank be accessible  is important to us.

2. Type of Account - Not every bank has free checking and savings.  Understanding their policies and account types before signing off on anything is pivotal.  I want to understand any fees that might come my way.

3. Internet banking -Being on the go means I want constant access, including on my phone.

4. Loan Financing - It may seem over the top at this point, but having a bank that we know and trust and who can be our lender in the future is huge.  At some point in the near future we will be buying a car and a house.

We've found a couple options and will try pursue them this week!

Step 2 - Organizing the mounds of paperwork each of us has.
A file holder, a shredder, and several hours of my time will be necessary.