Every Valentine’s Day, we are bombarded with suggestions for that perfect gift for our partners. While flowers, chocolates, movies, vacations, and dinner dates paint a pretty picture, they don’t last forever. They make for good memories though. But apart from that, you could also walk the extra mile to provide financial security to your partner.

The first step to achieve this end is to open a discussion on personal finances, which may sound unromantic. However, to define romance is but to limit it. So, let’s change it around a bit and begin a conversation on financial education over that dinner table you have reserved for you and your partner.

Prepare for technology disruption 

With digital boom and entry of technologically driven innovative financial companies into the market space to change the scene for the better, it is important that you and your partner are well-educated, acquainted and informed about all things that are taking the finance sector by storm. Be it banking, budgeting, saving, investing, loans, credit or debt, being aware, understanding, and having a knowledge of products available that form the basis for most financial decisions, is essential. This Valentine’s Day, financial education is one of the best gifts you could give your partner. Talk about everything, ranging from personal finance management, stock markets, investment plans or budget – the more couples converse, better is the education.

Making sure your partner has a financially secure future is a loving thing to do. Love has no definition either; it is what you do for the one you love and how you do it that matters. Open a mutual fund SIP, a fixed deposit or a recurring, a PPF or if you wish to buy shares of your partner’s favourite company and surprise them – options galore to profess your love by gifting them any of these, and making them feel empowered, financially. It’s the thoughtful choices you make today that go a long way in ensuring financial security for your partner.

Relationships need more than just love to survive; they also need insurances – health insurance, life insurance, term plans – any or all of them. What good is of wealth without good health? Instead of waiting to act as and when a need arises, take matters into your hands and open an insurance plan for your partner that will prove to be of great help should there be a health crisis or incidents/events that could lead to difficult times. Discuss plans with your partner to be on the same page in understanding that insurance is not an investment but a safeguarding instrument. It is the anchor for your partner in times of emergencies which will ensure that they don’t have to struggle to seek help from others, giving them a relief from dependency and a guarantee that they are taken care of.

What you do today with your personal finances and how you manage it also determines the effects it may have on your partner’s life in the future. For instance, if you are someone who maintains a healthy credit score, your partner will have an ease in accessing loans, should there be a need for it. It is always better to have a window to avail a loan product. Also, if you have an account with a bank that offers the facility of add-on credit cards, you could think of applying for one for your partner that will help them enjoy the same credit limit and benefits of the primary card holder (you). Apart from sharing benefits, add-on credit cards help couples have a better understanding of the importance of having a good credit score and work together towards that goal.

Saving for unforeseen circumstances