夫妻间六个错误财务认识 （2）

上一期向您介绍的是关于财务合并（Merging the Finances）和还债问题（Dealing with Debt）的错误认识（详情请见时尚版2010年2月刊），本期我们将再向您介绍两个可能会引发夫妻二人争吵的错误财务认识。

3. Keeping Spending in Check

The Wrong Approach: I’m a saver and you’re a spender. That’s the problem.

The Right Approach: We both spend, but on different things. Let’s budget.

Your husband keeps nagging at you that you spend too much, but then comes home one day with a huge smile and – surprise! – a 70-inch flat-screen plasma TV. He happily explains how he sealed the “terrific” deal. You’re definitely not impressed.

What usually happens is that one spouse gets labeled the “spender” and is blamed for skimming all the money out the checkbook. In most cases, however, that’s not accurate. Studies show that men and women spend the same, they just spend differently. Women usually take care of most of the family’s daily expenses: the groceries, the bills, clothes for the family – while men spend on large purchases like plasma TVs, cars or computers.

The solution here is to identify the real problem, namely, that you’re both spending money on a tight budget. Then sit down and decide how much money you’ll allocate to the “dailyness” of life, and how much to save for the big purchases. What we’re trying to do is to get the “Surprise!” out of it.

4. Investing Wisely

夫妻间六个错误财务认识Six Financial Mistakes_英语沙龙时尚版_新浪博客 The Wrong Approach: You’re a risk-taker, I’m risk-averse. Hands off our retirement savings.

The Right Approach: Let’s think in time frames and take as much risk as our goals allow.

The fighting about how much risk to take with your investments based on how you feel about risk. You could be completely risk-averse with money you need for next year, but you can be a huge risk-taker with money you’re saving for retirement. If that doesn’t work for you, seek the help of a broker or a financial planner.

Whatever your investment choices, review your investments together at least once a year and make sure that, overall, your portfolios1 balance each other out.

3. 做好消费安排

错误认识：我存钱，你花钱，这就是问题所在。

正确认识：我们都花钱，只是花在不同地方，一起预算一下吧。

你的丈夫唠叨个不停嫌你花钱太多，不过某天他却笑容灿烂地带了个“大惊喜”回家——一台70英寸等离子纯平电视机！他开心地侃着自己如何拿下这笔“绝妙的”交易，而你却完全不感冒。

情况经常会是这样：夫妻一方头顶“花钱人”的标签，因为不断消费被对方责备。但是，在多数情况下，事实并不是这样。研究发现，男人和女人花的钱一般多，只不过花的地方不同。女人通常将钱花在大多数的日常家庭消费中，比如杂货、账单和家人的衣物；男人则将钱花在诸如等离子电视机、汽车或电脑等大件物品上。

我们给出的解决方案就是：要看出真正的问题所在。说白了就是两个人都要在比较紧张的预算下花钱。坐下来商量一下你们准备分配多少钱打点日常消费，准备存多少钱买大件商品。我们要做的就是避免出现那些“大惊喜”。

4. 精明投资

错误认识：你爱承担风险，我却不愿冒险。不许动用我们的退休储蓄。

正确认识：按时间段来考虑投资事宜，在目标允许的范围内尽可能多地承担风险。

由投资会带来多少风险引发的争吵，其根本问题在于你如何看待风险。你可以抱着明年需要的资金不放而不愿冒一点风险，你也可以动用你们的退休储蓄金去承担很大的风险。如果这样对你没用，那就向经纪人或财务策划师寻求帮助。

无论你们有什么投资选择，每年至少要在一起将这些投资项目回顾一次，要确定你们各自的投资组合在总体上相互持平。