The Smart Stepfamily Guide to Financial Planning: Money Management Before and After You Blend a Family

Money issues are a frequent source of conflict in any marriage. But blended families are a monetary minefield. Debts, bills, and child support payments from previous relationships often influence the finances of a blended family. And planning for college expenses, retirement, and inheritance gets even more complicated in stepfamilies.

However, proper blended family money management can make money an asset to your relationships rather than a liability. The authors use over fifty years of combined financial planning and blended family educational experience to help you merge your current financial realities and family, and protect your marriage while doing so.

Get real-world financial advice specific to unique blended family matters so you can provide for your family both now and in the future.

“Undoubtedly one of the most complicated financial situations is that of the stepfamily. Ron, Greg, and David have combined their individual experiences to write a very helpful and practical book. I recommend it highly.” –RON BLUE, founder of Ronald Blue Trust and the Ron Blue Institute of Financial Planning, and author of more than 20 books, including Master Your Money

Ron L. Deal is one of the most widely read and viewed experts on blended families in the country. He is Director of FamilyLife Blended® for FamilyLife®, founder of Smart Stepfamilies™, and the author and Consulting Editor of the Smart Stepfamily Series of books including the bestselling Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages® and Becoming Stepfamily Smart (with Dr. Gary Chapman), The Smart Stepfamily: 7 Steps to a Healthy Family, and Preparing to Blend. Ron is a licensed marriage and family therapist, popular conference speaker, and host of the FamilyLife Blended podcast. He and his wife, Nan, have three sons and live in Little Rock, Arkansas. Learn more at FamilyLife.com/blended.

Greg Pettys, CLU, ChFC, CFP, has thirty-four years of specialized experience in securities and life insurance sales and services. Ron has known Greg for twenty years, and Greg speaks regularly at Ron's Smart Stepfamily events.

David O. Edwards is an estate planning and elder law attorney based in Springfield, Illinois. David speaks regularly at Ron's Smart Stepfamily events.