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Investing As A Couple Can Be A Tricky Venture

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By MARSHALL LOEB MarketWatch

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 1, 2008

Keeping your investments intact in today's market is hard enough. But if you're a couple, managing your investments together, it may be trickier. When it comes to investing, a couple could run into more trouble than a single person.

From Dana Dratch at Bankrate.com, consider these mistakes to watch out for if you're managing your investments with that special someone:

1. Too many accounts. With a lot of couples, investment accounts are spread over a number of banks, brokerage houses and financial institutions. "It's a little out of control," says Karen Altfest, vice president of New York-based L.J. Altfest & Co. "It's too much for most people to handle."

2. One party isn't getting a voice in investment decisions. Financial advisers see it all the time: One spouse loves the bigger returns often associated with stocks. The other, leery of risk, is more comfortable with a lower return and less in stocks. What often happens: The spouse who manages the investments decides the split. But the spouse who's "just along for the ride" has to live with the results, too.

3. No shared goals. "One household should have one set of goals. Otherwise, it's very difficult," says Altfest. "You shouldn't each go off half-cocked." She makes sure to ask couples what their goals are and how they plan to work toward them.

4. Commingling inherited assets. If you're planning to use that inherited money during retirement, keep it in an account under only your name. Once the money has been placed in a joint account, many states consider it marital (read "joint") property. That means if the marriage splits up, you could lose 50 percent long before you reach 65.

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