Happily Unmarried: What Are the Financial Issues?

Happily Unmarried: What Are the Financial Issues?

Dear Carrie, I'm 34 and thinking of moving in with my boyfriend. We're committed to each other and both want children, but we don't plan to get married. From a financial point of view, what do we need to know? --A Reader

Dear Reader, It's good that you're asking this question now, before moving in together. A committed emotional relationship soon evolves into a financial relationship as you start to share the costs and concerns of everyday life, whether you're married or not.

However, handling day-to-day living expenses is the simple part. It's when you get into things like...