This is a wedding shower for couples. Complete with refreshments, goodies, and some stripping too. What! Stripping you of your financial woes, of course. After saying I Do, you enter into a new phase in life. That phase can be a prosperous and abundant one or the opposite. Dearly Beloved has teamed up with Met Life to create The Financial Wedding Shower for couples.

Did you know the number one reason for divorce is money problems? It's easy to understand, because Romance Without Finance is a Nuisance. Just think while planning your wedding you juggled thousands of dollars, negotiated many contracts and like a CEO you delegated jobs while keeping a watchful eye over every detail. These same tactics need to be applied to your finances.

The Financial Wedding Shower is created to put you on track. To start the process, ask each other these questions:

• Do you have credit card debt?
• Do you expect me to help you with your debt?
• Who pays for what, rent, utilities, insurance, college loan, etc?
• What are your goals financially? (If he/she answers "I plan to win the Lottery and buy an island" cut your losses run for the boarder.)
• Should we have a joint account, only or keep separate accounts? (again if he/she says "Joint accounts only, don't you trust me" run like Carl Lewis)
• Do you know your partners spending style?

This event is FREE and we look forward to meeting you

• Strategic Planning Group an office of MetLife
• Date: Thursday, July 28th, 2005
• Time: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
• Place: 260 Madison Avenue 10th floor New York, New York near 38th Street

Hosted by:

• W. Dwight Raiford, Financial Services Representative Financial Planner
• Herve Thenor-Louis, CLU, ChFC Financial Services Representative Financial Planner
• Robin Vetere, Financial Services Representative

MetLife will be sending a formal invitation in the mail or you can RSVP from this email. Space is limited so RSVP ASAP! This event will be FABULOUS, FUN, and best of all FREE!

The idea of bringing up prenuptial agreements makes most people cringe. They are afraid of being perceived as unromantic, less committed or selfish. Prenuptial agreements are planning for the worst, but then, so is life insurance.

The first question to ask yourself is "Do I need a prenuptial agreement at all?" They can be expensive, since each party needs their own lawyer to assure that the agreement is fair and the document must be tailored to your specific situation. Having a prenuptial agreement prepared can easily run $1,000 or more. If you both have little or nothing in the way of assets, debts, or responsibilities, you may want to skip the prenup.

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you should strongly consider getting a prenuptial agreement.

1. Do you have considerable assets, including inheritance, stocks, property, pension, or business holdings that you feel should remain your property in the event of a divorce? In the 19th century a woman's property would become the property of her husband in the event of a marriage. Premarital agreements were originally designed to protect the assets of women marrying less wealthy men.
2. Do you have children from a previous relationship and want to make sure they inherit assets you possessed prior to this marriage? Most states automatically distribute a portion of the estate to the spouse in the event of death. If you want your estate to be distributed amongst children or other family members instead, you can specify that in a prenuptial agreement.
3. Does your spouse have considerable debt that you feel should remain their sole responsibility? In addition to assets, debt can be split during a divorce. If your future spouse has large amounts of debt, such as credit cards or loans, you may want an agreement stating that previous debt (or debt accumulated by one party during the marriage) is not the responsibility of the other.

Most courts will recognize the validity of a prenuptial agreement. In order to prevent your agreement from being voided, both parties need to fully disclose their assets and liabilities. The agreement should also be in writing and signed before the marriage takes place. Signing cannot have been coerced or under duress and both parties should have their own lawyer to represent them.

If possible, include your prenuptial agreement in your larger financial planning. It is also a good time to review your credit reports, check your FICO scores, and review your assets and debt. Financial planning can be extremely confusing and stressful, so do not put it off until right before the wedding.

Especially For You Planners, LLC, 516.616.5053

She's baaaaack, Beauloni.com is now Beauloni Style.com. Many of you have been asking for her contact info and here it is, BeauloniStyle.c om, 718-452-2920

Photo by Eric Von Lochart, Hair by Khamit Kinks, Headpiece by Beauloni

You've shared it with your loved ones why not share with your favorite charities. Here are just a few places you can make important contributions.

• Just Give: Wedding Registry Charity Gift Donations
• I Do Foundation: Bringing Charitable Giving to Weddings
• UNICEF: Other Ways to Give
• The Flower Power Foundation: Experience the healing of a spirit provide a burst of compassion give the power of a flower. nancy@flowerpowernyc.org