How can you compare any of the other examples to people using a rewards credit card? Credit cards don’t drive up costs–and you can always try to negotiate a cash price. In the case of buying a new car, sometimes the credit price is cheaper than cash (I’ve bought a car cheaper with financing only to pay it off a week later).

Would you also argue that people using coupons and discounts raise prices for those dumb enough not to use them?

If you want to scold people, Laura, you should be scolding Ben Bernanke. He is making your purchases cost more regardless of your payment type. And yet we don’t see any articles here highlighting that the major beneficiaries of Bernanke’s “easing” are the rich.

I have never enjoyed your articles in the past because it doesn’t seem like you have worthwhile advice to give someone like me, who is well beyond your level in all matters financial. But to *eyeroll* anyone who considers divorce in their family financial planning is just rude and frankly, pretty well sums up your immature and unworldly attitude towards finances.

We’ll see you back here in a few years when your husband gets tired of your organic fruit antics.

JD, can we dump this writer?

So I’m sure it didn’t surprise the writer or editor that this sparked a lot of discussion.

People are so sensitive or are you just picking it apart for sport?

The take-away is to plan financially for unknowns to the best of our ability whether death or divorce.

And by your logic about changing skills in a fast paced world, no one should ever take a break from the work force ever. I find it a pretty sad prospect that I should work my whole life (even if I don’t have to) out of fear for the future. What about those who take time off to care for a sick relative? Should they not do that? I imagine most of us who do leave the work force are well aware of the risks, but the rewards outweigh the possible pitfalls, at least for us.

In Malaysia, muslim couples need to attend mandatory pre-marriage course to learn all the legal stuff and conditions pertaining to their marriage contract.

It baffled me when I discovered that people get married without knowing all the terms of that marriage. basically it’s love conquers all… until it doesn’t. and then you’re screwed because you signed a piece of paper and didn’t read the fine print. dang

And then I came back to see that lots of people were very upset with me. Well, I apologize. I had no desire to sneer. I shook my head and rolled my eyes because I disagreed and this was a healthier way to respond than to immediately come on here and argue. Instead, I thought about it, and wrote a post.

I stand by my analysis. I don’t think it makes any sense to plan for divorce. I’m sorry if you felt sneered at. I am not sneering at you. I am making a joke about my disagreement. (And to the rest of you below here who don’t like my phrasing.)

this is just your opinion.. but everything has an end, even love. believe it or not. that does not make it futile or counterproductive.

people live and fight knowing you will die
you start up companies and partner with people and PLAN ahead and not expect it to last forever… doesn’t mean it’s not worth a shot. some companies last generations. some, a few days.

everything ends, but doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile to reap and enjoy the benefits while it lasts.

This sounds rather like the rationale behind Hitler’s Aktion T4.

Seems to me that a culture many thousands of years old sees nothing wrong with what is basically a pre-nup, and in fact (if you follow traditional tenets of the faith), you can’t be legally married without one.

If you’re going to condone irresponsible behavior, then man up and condone all of it. Scold people who use rewards credit cards who don’t care that it drives up costs for everyone, or who buy cheap goods who don’t care that it was made by slave labor, or corporations who off-shore jobs to make a profit, or who bring down the economy and whine they need a bailout of more money because they’re too big to fail. Don’t just scold poor people who make choices that require taxpayer money. That’s one-sided. Judge everybody who behaves in such a way that their greed trumps the greater good.

Then decide if just being judgmental and hurling an opinion around really leads to lasting change, or if it would work better to try compassionate understanding of the underlying causes and tackle those causes that created the situation. My $0.02, k-chink.

I could be wrong, but I think some employers have “employee + family” insurance options…

(Maybe someone can chime in and clarify.)

Second, you’ve chosen a situation where you can’t just erase the “mistake.” That’s an 18-year commitment. Exactly what course are you asking her to do?

Finally, you’ve taken a situation where there’s a man who is just as culpable and removed him from blame and from the situation entirely. Yes, it’s all her fault–let’s get out our pitchforks!

As for the comment about keeping up skills and you rolling your eyes at the comment, it seems you’ve been taking that advice to heart, albeit for different stated reasons. I generally advice spouses to keep up skills, etc, in case things don’t work out according to your plan. It may sound like I mean divorce, but personally, I can’t even contemplate the other D word of my spouse or children.

But in Sweden we have something called “inkomstförsäkring” its an income insurance, so that you can keep more of your salary should you lose your job. It’s a rather popular insurance in Sweden at the moment. But I am not really sure if its worth the extra money.

Side note: when something innocuous makes me feel very strongly, I take a look at what it’s triggering emotionally in me and usually it’s fear.

Of course not. Genetic science has advanced to the state where we can now detect those genetic markers in the womb early enough where abortion is still an option.

But if tests show that a woman is carrying a 6-week old embryo with cerebral palsy, and she chooses to carry it to term, should society be on the hook financially to provide care for that individual for their entire life?

Recommended reading: Elizabeth Warren’s “The Two Income Trap”, “Ann Crittenden’s “The Price of Motherhood.”

Regards,
Tarun Sikri
New Delhi, India