Leilene

Go on! Engage all your loved ones in some preliminary discussions about how money fits into your lives. The following conversation starters should help:
• What does money represent to you?
• What beliefs about money (such as “a penny saved is a penny earned,”“money buys happiness,”“money is the root of all evil”) do you hold?
• What are your money fears?
• What kind of financial baggage do you have? How do your parents, siblings, former marriages, or past business experiences affect your current money-related activities?
• What is your personal money style? How compatible is it with your partner’s style?
• Do you occasionally fall victim to mental accounting, some of your money differently than other money?
• What’s important to you? If you were to list your top three or four values, what would they be?
• What are your personal dreams? What do your five-, ten-, and twenty-year plans look like?• What are your specific financial goals?
• What parts of your financial plan have you neglected, and what do you need to do?
• Do you want to handle your tinancial planning on your own or seek professional help?
• Do your actions with money support your values? What do you want to change to better reflect your values and to help you achieve your dreams and goals?
• What philanthropic causes do yo do you want to make a difference?
• Have you engaged your parents dialogue about money?
• How can you make sure you start and keep talking about money?