Annie’s mailbox: In some cases, prenups are certainly wise
Q. I am a 61-year-old woman. I am retired, and I live off of my investments, which generate enough income for me to live comfortably. I have paid off my mortgage on the home in which I’ve lived for 30 years.
I’ve known “Joseph” for 25 years, but we have only begun dating in the past six months. Despite having a high-paying job, Joseph has only a quarter of the assets that I have. He is talking marriage, but I’m afraid if we later divorce and divide our combined assets, I would no longer be able to afford to stay in my house.
I love Joseph, but I worry about this. He let his ex-wife handle all of their finances and, as a result, has little in the way of retirement savings. He also still works in a job where he can stay for many more years – whereas, if we divorce, I’d have trouble finding a job that would pay enough to live decently.
What do you think of a prenuptial agreement in our case? – Wedding Jitters
A. We are in favor of prenups whenever one party enters a marriage with substantially more assets than the other. It is particularly important later in life when a financial setback is more difficult to recoup. There are various ways to handle this, so we suggest you speak to an attorney with experience in this area.
Dear Annie: Your advice to “Spinning the Wheel in Pennsylvania” was so right. I have a daughter, and my twin sister has a son. They are a few months apart. Even though my daughter was four months younger, she was ahead of her cousin, but my sister and I understood that girls are a little more advanced than boys at that age.
We were disgusted by how family and friends compared the children constantly, as if my nephew had to prove himself to them. Of course, we were there to reassure both of our children how awesome they were. Today, my son and my niece are college graduates and super-successful.
Never hold back a child in order for them to move at the same pace as another child. And when anyone, be it family or friends, compares the kids, back up your child! – Twin Moms
Email questions to anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254