With This Debt, I Thee Wed

Yet another reason to avoid too much debt:

If there's a money matter more likely to cause conflict for couples -- maybe even divorce -- it's debt.

Being in love and in hock is no way to go through a marriage, because being in hock might just put the kibosh on the love, particularly in the early years. Debt, it turns out, is a leading cause of family strife during the first few years of marriage, according to Creighton University's Center for Marriage and Family.

That doesn't mean debt will necessarily send you to divorce court, but it does mean the accumulation of debt can undermine your marriage and cause the type of discord that can dissolve a marriage...

Of course, it doesn't have to be this way. You are in control of the credit card in your wallet. You're the one who says no to the car you can't afford. You're the one who decides it's wiser to leave the equity in your home instead of drawing it out for unnecessary indulgences.

The savviest couples recognize that debt should serve only one purpose: to help you and your spouse build a better life together -- not a better lifestyle.