Personal Finances After Divorce

Eilene Zimmerman, a financial expert recently admitted in a Salon essay that “it took her 2009 divorce to get her to take responsibility for her money.”  She confessed that “until very recently [she] had never seen a 401K statement, never made a mortgage payment, never bought or sold a car or stock in a company and didn’t know anything about mutual funds. [She] left all that to [her] husband.”

This article brings to light that many times there is a clear differentiation of power or responsibilities in a marriage.  One spouse may be more involved in personal finances.  Even though Eilene is a financial expert, she knew nothing of her own personal finances.  It took her divorce to wake her up to her own personal financial reality.

Life after divorce will take some adjustment.  There are things that we simply rely on our spouse’s for.  The adjustment period after a divorce may be awkward but in the end it will have helped you become a stronger person.