 TITLE: Should Married Couples Have Joint Checking Accounts? CONTENT: Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Joint Checking Account\n-----------------------------------------------------\nStill deciding whether to take the plunge? Here are a few tips on healthy joint account maintenance:\n*   **Consider keeping your individual accounts.** It's certainly possible to manage all of your income and expenses through a single joint account, but it may be less aggravating to maintain individual accounts as well. You won't have to monitor each other's every trip to Starbucks, and you'll each maintain a sense of autonomy.\n*   **Define your parameters.** You don't have to funnel every dollar into your joint account. Figure out what your monthly joint expenses are, add in a few dollars as a cushion and decide how much each of you will contribute.\n*   **Develop clear rules and roles.** Although the money belongs to both of you, having one designated account manager may save you some trouble. Decide who will be spending from this account and how, then agree that the other person will only do transactions after consulting with the account manager in advance. That way, one person is responsible for knowing what's happening with the account. You can take turns being account manager, if that seems more fair. END