How often do you and your spouse talk about the financial aspect of your retirement?  For that matter, how often do you talk about finances in general? New Research by Fidelity has found that an alarmingly high number of couples barely communicate about their finances at all. In fact, “only 15 percent of couples feel confident that both of them could assume responsibility for their joint finances if necessary”.

Retirement planning is one of the leading areas in which spouses have a failure to communicate, according to the research. After the recent market turmoil, people have new and greater concerns about their ability to retire comfortably, but they aren’t talking about it.  And lack of communication means a lack of planning: “Although couples agree about their top financial concerns in retirement, they have not developed better planning habits. In fact, nearly 10 percent fewer couples report they had completed critical plans – be that a retirement plan, an estate plan, or a will — as compared to 2007.”

Although the temptation to bury your head in the sand may be strong, talking with your spouse—and then with a trusted professional—to create quality retirement and estate plans is essential, and will bring incredible comfort and security to you and the rest of your family.  If talking about finances is not something that comes naturally to you and your spouse, a good way to get started is to make an appointment with a professional who can lead you through the process together.

Talking about money doesn’t have to be scary. Learning together and making plans for the future will not only strengthen your financial situation, it can also strengthen your relationship.