4. CONSOLIDATE INSURANCE COVERAGE Life Insurance: If you don’t have life insurance yet, now is the time to consider it; you have someone else who, at least partially, depends on you financially. Talk with an advisor about how much and what kind is right for your situation. They can also show you how a policy can grow with you in the future (perhaps if kids enter the picture). And think twice about relying solely on your work-based policy, because if you lose your job, you will lose your coverage. Health Insurance: This is also a good time to review your health insurance coverage and choose the best option between your plan and your spouse’s plan. While you typically can’t switch plans outside of the enrollment period, marriage is considered a qualifying event that qualifies you for a “Special Enrollment Period” that typically gives you 60 days after the “life event” to make changes. Car Insurance: Check with your insurer to see if you can get better rates by combining policies and potentially enjoying a “marriage” discount. 5. CHANGE YOUR NAME ON ALL YOUR IDENTIFICATION CARDS AND ACCOUNTS If you have taken a new name, fill out Form SS-5 for a new Social Security card and FORM DS 5504 of Form DS-11, then visit your local DMV to update your driver’s license. Once you have your new documents, make sure you’ve changed your name on all your banking, credit card and savings accounts. 6. TACKLE ESTATE PLANNING “Until death do us part,” can, sadly, happen unexpectedly, and it’s why you shouldn’t avoid a discussion about estate planning. Having a will means that your assets will be divided up as you intended, which is especially important should you and your spouse perish together. Without a will, you leave it up to a court to decide how to handle your estate. Along with your will, make sure you have enacted a power of attorney, so your spouse can make decisions on your behalf should you become incapacitated. 7. PLAN YOUR FUTURE TOGETHER With all the paperwork-y stuff out of the way, it’s time for some fun. How will you and your partner spend the rest of your lives together? That is a huge question to answer, but it will generate so many exciting discussions with your spouse. Talk about when you both want to retire and the lifestyle you want to maintain. Talk about travel, or children, or second houses, or starting a business or a backyard pool. Take your bucket lists and merge them into a master list of things to do together. Your life as a married couple is a blank slate that you can fill in however you choose. How awesome is that?! Charting your future as a couple is incredibly gratifying, but these discussions will also serve a very practical purpose: These are life goals, but they are also financial ones. Your conversation will help you both to get on the same page about your financial priorities together. When you’ve built a vision for the future that excites you both, it’ll be much easier – and rewarding – to stick to a financial plan that gets you where you want to go. Of course, if you’ve got big dreams but the path forward is a little hazy, a financial advisor can help put the pieces together and design a plan that gets you to “happily ever after.” 8. CELEBRATE With all this planning, don’t forget to live today! Take your new spouse out for an expensive dinner, see a show on Broadway, do something awesome to celebrate the beginning of your lives together. There’s a reason you got married! Get out there and enjoy the journey together. Matthew Culhane, RICP® Managing Director 605.999.9367 Mitchell and Black Hills matt.culhane@nm.com !"#$%&'($'#)*+,$,-.*/')'#-.*01(2.-13'# !"#$%&'($'#)*+,$,-.*1(*$%'*3-#4'$1)5*)-3'*6"#*7%'*!"#$%&'($'#)*+,$,-.*816'*9)(,#-)2'*:"3;-)<*-)=*1$(*(,>(1=1-#1'(?*816'*-)=*=1(->1.1$<*1)(,#-)2'@*-)),1$1'(@*-)=*.16'*1)(,#-)2'*&1$%*.")5$'#3*2-#'*>')'61$(*-#'* 1((,'=*><*7%'*!"#$%&'($'#)*+,$,-.*816'*9)(,#-)2'*:"3;-)<@*+1.&-,4''@*A9*B!+C?*8")5$'#3*2-#'*1)(,#-)2'*1(*1((,'=*><*!"#$%&'($'#)*8")5*7'#3*:-#'*9)(,#-)2'*:"3;-)<@*+1.&-,4''@*A9@*B!87:C*-*(,>(1=1-#<*"6*!+?* 9)D'($3')$*>#"4'#-5'*('#D12'(*-#'*"E'#'=*$%#",5%*!"#$%&'($'#)*+,$,-.*9)D'($3')$*F'#D12'(@*88:*B!+9FC*-*(,>(1=1-#<*"6*!+@*>#"4'#='-.'#@*#'51($'#'=*1)D'($3')$*-=D1("#@*-)=*3'3>'#*G9!HI*-)=*F9J:?*9)D'($3')$* -=D1("#<*-)=*$#,($*('#D12'(*-#'*"E'#'=*$%#",5%*!"#$%&'($'#)*+,$,-.*A'-.$%*+-)-5'3')$*:"3;-)<*B!+A+:C@*+1.&-,4''@*A9@*-*(,>(1=1-#<*"6*!+*-)=*-*6'='#-.*(-D1)5(*>-)4?*J#"=,2$(*-)=*('#D12'(*#'6'#')2'=*-#'* "E'#'=*-)=*(".=*").<*><*-;;#";#1-$'.<*-;;"1)$'=*-)=*.12')('=*')$1$1'(*-)=*61)-)21-.*-=D1("#(*-)=*;#"6'((1")-.(?*!"$*-..*;#"=,2$(*-)=*('#D12'(*-#'*-D-1.->.'*1)*-..*($-$'(?*!"$*-..*!"#$%&'($'#)*+,$,-.*#';#'(')$-$1D'(* -#'*-=D1("#(?*K).<*$%"('*#';#'(')$-$1D'(*&1$%*I=D1("#*1)*$%'1#*$1$.'*"#*&%"*"$%'#&1('*=1(2."('*$%'1#*($-$,(*-(*-)*-=D1("#*"6*!+A+:*-#'*2#'=')$1-.'=*-(*!+A+:*#';#'(')$-$1D'(*$"*;#"D1='*1)D'($3')$*-=D1("#<*('#D12'(?