 TITLE: 7 Financial Tips for LGBTQ Newlyweds CONTENT: 1\\. Get to Saving\n-----------------\nWhether you plan to keep checking accounts separate or combined, it's a good idea to work toward building savings and planning for big expenses as a couple.\nAn Experian survey from 2018 found that LGBTQ respondents were more likely to say they had difficulty setting aside savings compared with the general population. Contributing factors likely include a persistent pay gap and other forms of systemic discrimination. It also doesn't help that same-sex couples weren't eligible receive many of the financial benefits of marriage up until 2015, including the ability to file taxes jointly, receive spousal health and retirement benefits, and more.\nIncreasing your savings may be as simple as committing to setting a certain amount aside regularly. Start with whatever you can afford and work up from there over time. Having money automatically deposited into your savings account(s) every pay period or month can help build your emergency fund as well and funds for other financial goals.\nIf you plan to have kids, starting your savings plan now is important, since family-building options such as adoption, surrogacy or in-vitro fertilization are costly. END