“Most couples rarely talk about money... unless they are fighting about it.”

This gold nugget of wisdom comes from David Bach, bestselling author of Smart Couples Finish Rich, an easy-to-use guide for financial success.  While there are countless money management guides on the market, Bach’s book offers something more: the chance for couples to learn to work on their finances as a team.

It’s no secret that money problems are the number one cause for relationship strife. Money is emotional and has a nasty way of getting tangled into every part of your life together. The irony is that when there are two of you, you have a much better chance of overcoming those issues and improving your finances than if you were alone.

What we like about this book is that it recognizes how closely your feelings about money are tied to your feelings about everything else: your self-worth and work ethic, family and values, security and your relationship. Accepting the huge role that money plays in your lives is the first step in taking control of your financial future.

The book is rich with practical spending and saving strategies, like how to save enough so you can retire early, how to manage your credit cards, and how to increase your income. It’s more than saving more and spending less, though. The most important thing, Bach says, is that you and your partner have to be on the same page (as it were).

The first chapter of the book includes a two-step quiz that should give couples some idea of where they stand on their financial roadmap.  First you determine how important money is to each of you, and then you figure out how much you each know about your current finances. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but if you’re the type of couple who avoids talking about money at all costs, this will help you begin that dialogue.

If you’re going to finish rich, this is a pretty good place to start.