Talk Money to Me: The 8 Essential Financial Questions to Discuss With Your Partner

by Jason Tartick

Money is one of the leading causes of divorce, tension in relationships, and decreased intimacy.

For a healthy relationship, how you manage and discuss your finances is equally as important as emotional compatibility. But many cohabitating Americans feel uncomfortable discussing finances with their partner. . .or they don't know where to start.

In this practical, cards-on-the-table follow-up to his Wall Street Journal bestselling book The Restart Roadmap, host of the Trading Secrets podcast Jason Tartick will teach you the eight numbers you need to discuss with your partner, why they’re so important for romantic compatibility, and how to actually talk about money.

From investing and managing cash flows, to emergency funds and credit scores, Tartick will help you gain a comprehensive view of you and your partner’s financial compatibility by talking you through how

Get comfortable starting the money conversations with your partner and loved ones.Learn the most important financial tricks, tactics, and technology to improve money habits.Calculate and manage the eight figures that will critically impact your financial wellbeing.Create independent and joint spending, saving, and investing strategies as a team.Understand the potential repercussions of financial infidelity and deception. 

Net worth is not self-worth. Whether you're making six figures or deep in debt, being open about your finances and coming up with a plan of action together is the best way to ensure a healthy, lasting relationship.

The only way to find out if you and your partner are a match is to talk about money.

Genres: Finance, Nonfiction, Money

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Kelsey Vukic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy knows his stuff! Wish I knew this stuff in my previous relationships - would have saved me some time!

[Natalie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Such an important topic for couples learning to balance love and their checkbook!

[Elizabeth]

I read almost every bachelor book but also read a lot of money/money management books, and this one is hard to rate....Overall, I thought this was well written, and better than Tartick's previous book. However, it is very much a basic financial literacy book, with the addition of how to have money conversations with your partner. Overall, it was good, but nothing ground-breaking. I enjoyed reading it, it was well paced with a good mix of stories. There are tips and fillable sections to keep the reader engaged. I think it would be very helpful for people just starting to look at their money management and working money out with a partner. Overall, I would recommend it!

Thank you to the author, HarperCollins Leadership, and NetGalley for providing a copy to review.

[Stephanie Bullis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes an uncomfortable topic approachable and digestible! So glad I picked this up. Truly a game changer for my boyfriend and I as we start discussing the future!

[Michele rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how this was from more of a personal standpoint. He does give you lots of good information, but it doesn’t feel like he’s talking down to you all. This would definitely be helpful for someone who has a small moderate amount of knowledge already.

[Meg.RecsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great advice, especially for when you enter a relationship with someone!

[Sara Pielsticker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro to finance book! Would recommend the physical copy so you can do the exercises.

[January · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk Money to Me: The 8 Essential Financial Questions to Discuss With Your Partner by Jason Tartick
7h 14m read by the author, 272 pages

Genre: Nonfiction, Personal Finance, Relationships

Featuring: PDF, Photos, Graphics, Google Me, Podcast, Bachelorette, Banker, Love & Money, How To Talk Money With Your Partner, Numbers Don't Lie, Top 5 Money Arguments, Top 10 Money Icebreaker Questions, Circle of Trust, Interviews With Minor Celebrities, Tender Swindler, Say Yes To Dress, We Were Not Taught—Love and Money, People Pose, Context Changes, Stories Shift . . . But Numbers Don’t Lie, What Is Your Credit Score? No One Can Gaslight with Their Credit Report, Financial Gaslighting, Financial Deception, How Many Financial Accounts Do You Have? Avoiding Financial Deception, Financial Compatibility, What Are Your Annual Expenses? Money Can’t Buy You Love, But It Can Buy You a Mess!, Spending Triggers, Money Personalities, Proactive Spending, How Much Do You Make? And What About Your Expense-to-Income Ratio?, The Negotiator, Leverage, Spending Systems, Same Wave Length, Teeter-Totter - Pro Rata Ratios, Anchor, Assigning Dollar Amounts To Tasks, Hazzard Zones, Improving Spending, Credit Card Game, What Is Your Debt-to-Income Ratio? Don’t Let Loans Get in the Way of Love, Debt Trauma, Snowball Method, Dave Ramsey, Avalanche Method, Debt Consolidation - Personal Loan, Home Equity Loan, Credit Card Transfer, Borrowing Against Retirement Account, Debt Settlement, Debt Counseling, Bankruptcy, What Banks Don't Want You To Know, What’s Your Net Worth? Learning How to Protect and Acquire Assets as a Couple, What Is Your Risk Tolerance? Understanding the Behind-the-Scenes of Investment Decisions,
Zoomers & Money, Net Worth, Get A Lawyer, Asset Protection, Prenuptial Agreements, What Age Do You Want to Retire? Building Your Dream Retirement with the Love of Your Life The Closing Bell Jason’s “No BS”, Investments, Risk Tolerance, Stocks, Bonds, Financial Advisors, Glossary, Notes, Index

Rating as a movie: R for language

Songs for the soundtrack:

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½❤️💵

My thoughts: 📱5% 21:03 Chapter 2 People Pose, Context Changes, Stories Shift . . . But Numbers Don't Lie - This is an interesting topic but I can already tell it's going to take 3-7 days to get through. I'm not sure why Chapter 1 sounds like an Introduction and not a topic.
📱9% 38:13 Chapter 3 What Is Your Credit Score? No One Can Gaslight with Their Credit Report- It still sounds like an Introduction.
📱41% 2:58:25 Chapter 6. How Much Do You Make? And What About Your Expense-to-Income Ratio? -This guy completely lost me when he said knowing your partner's credit score is just as important as knowing their birth date and then said if you don't tell someone your credit score you are financially gaslighting them and being deceptive. It got better after that.

While this book had a lot of good information it had just as much troublesome advice and misguided ideas. If you take out a loan or apply for a credit card you owe the money regardless of the reason why you took the loan out. Norway is not the problem.

Recommend to others: Maybe, but have your own values and do your own research, this book has several holes in its plan.

[Ted Watt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much general personal finance advice. Not enough relationship and financial communication advice.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts were helpful than others some just felt like common sense

[Man Ha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's crucial to have open and honest financial discussions with your partner when considering moving in together. Discuss your financial goals, such as mortgage savings or planning future travel adventures. Next, partners should discuss essential topics like managing debt, credit card usage, paying bills, and maintaining a good credit score. These discussions can often be complex and might require the assistance of an accountant or financial advisor, especially when delving into tax histories. Once the groundwork is set, you can start establishing saving plans and budgeting for what you both enjoy.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read too many financial books in the past so I do not have too much to compare it to but i really liked this one. Jason did a great job of using comparisons when explaining complex subjects to make it easier to understand and related to real life examples from the beginning of the chapters, so it was easy to understand from the start. He focused on a different topic every chapter and I definitely am feeling more informed than when I went in. Highly recommend this for people easing into financial literature.

[Stacy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book about my finances and how it's healthy to talk money with people. This book covers everything from debt to investing. I like how easy it is to understand and how applicable all of the lessons are. While the book is about teaching you to talk money with your partner, it taught me a lot about my personal finances. I even started making some changes and moving around my money since reading this book. The book is organized in such an easy way and provides links and apps that you can use to gain more information about your individualized finance plan. Well done Jason Tartick!

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I read this book because I listen to the author's podcast. That said, I found it engaging for a financial literacy book and thought he distilled his key messages well while also making the strong case for why you should engage in financial transparency and ask the hard questions to your partner.

[Erika De La Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are scared to dip your toe into learning about finances, this is a great book. The content is not much different than many other finance books, but the way he writes is really personable and it doesn't feel intimidating.

[Haley Brown-Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audio version and Jason is a wonderful narrator. So easy to listen to. This is a super informative book and I definitely recommend it for couples who want to get on the same page about the money and money talks.

[Rebecca Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been listening to Jason’s podcast for years on money. This was a different spin on how to manage your finances. Great read!

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple and to the point! Great quick read and good for new couples/relationships.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really solid intro book with some great tids about discussing these topics with your partner

[Kayla Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did this on audio but bought the physical book as well. I’m excited to sit down and start doing the exercises talked about in the book and excel moving forward.

[Katherine Houston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book if you’re looking to learn/sharpen up on basic finance knowledge/skills.
Tbh I mostly listened to this audiobook bc it was jason lol

[Sarah Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether you are in a relationship or not, this book has great advice if you are new to financial planning, budgeting, and figuring out how much to save.

[Julie McCobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each year I like to read a couple of professional development books. Thanks for breaking down investing, finances, etc.

[Ember · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listen to Jason’s podcast so thought I’d read this book too. It was good and had some good advice, especially the two chapters near the end.

[Brin P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly just a huge Jason Tartick fan so that perhaps has me biased 😂 If you’re already financially savvy, this book is not for you. It’s a very basic intro to talking about finances. I, however, am a moron about most things finance-related. So I appreciated how basic it was lol The theme of this book is that it’s important to talk to your partner about finances, awkward as that sometimes may be. And then Jason walks you through the eight numbers you NEED to discuss with your partner and why. He includes a bunch of financial tricks, simple explanations for financial terms, personal stories regarding his own finances, the basics of investing, etc. It felt a bit more skewed towards personal finance tips, but provided a lot of conversation points to have with your partner, whether you’re already in a committed relationship or looking for one. So it was interesting to think through even as someone who has been sharing finances with someone else for nearly a decade.