
You know it's important to maintain
your own credit identity when you're married, but here's what
ehadams is curious about: "What happens to credit when you get married? For example, if he has bad (or no credit) and you have excellent credit, what happens?" The answer to this is less complicated than going through the process of
changing your last name!

If you wanted to buy, say a new pair of Loubs to fulfill your everlasting desire for red-soled shoes, would you have to consult your husband? And if he wanted to go on a Best Buy binge, would he need to check in with you to negotiate a limit?
Discussing
spending priorities is a must when you're pooling your money, and some couples make a rule that they cannot spend over a certain amount without first checking with each other.

Ideally you hashed out the His and Hers money issues
before you said I do, and beginning your marriage with openness about finances will set the tone for constant and comfortable communication. A good place to start is the three-bucket approach: One shared and two individual accounts helps to maintain a sense of independence while combining funds for shared expenses eases you into the idea of combining funds, though this approach isn't for everyone.
You can always rethink your married money situation later if you feel another approach better suits you, as there's not a single formula that works for all couples.

Just because you've promised to be there for your guy through good times and bad, it doesn't mean that filing jointly is the best option for you. You want to pay the least amount of taxes overall, so make sure you run the numbers for filing jointly and separately before opting for one or the other. When would you consider filing separately?