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You're marrying your greatest love-and his credit history! Here's how to clean up your credit-card act, together.

"I'm very careful with my money; I always have been," says Mia Piccolo*, a New York City-based editor who was married in November 2000. "When I met my husband, George*, he was stuck in a revolving door of debt thanks to graduate school. He was paying the minimum amount each month, and figuring that once he finished school he could tackle the balances. He didn't like it, but he had become used to it. But I felt the debt was looming over us; I wanted to start married life debt-free."

Mia's lament is a common one. When two people merge their money, differences in their spending and saving habits quickly come to the fore. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the area of credit-card debt. So what can you do to keep your financial future as promising as your new marriage? In a word: Talk. "We came clean about our credit cards and their balances," says Mia. "Just because you're in love with someone, and know them intimately, doesn't mean you'll know just what cards they have. It's not something that comes up when you're dating."

Know What You've Got

Without looking, can you say how many credit cards are in your wallet? How many are in your fiancé's? If you're patting yourself on the back for knowing the correct answers, ask yourself this: What are the interest rates on all those cards? What are the outstanding balances? What's your plan for paying them off? Ah. Now it's time to get specific.

According to Carrie Coghill, coauthor, with Evan Pattak, of The Newlywed's Guide to Investing and Personal Finance (Career Press), the first thing couples should do is take stock. "Lay your cards on the table—literally," she says. Get out statements, and review balances and interest rates.

Second, obtain copies of your personal credit reports. (Contact either TransUnion, 800-888-4213 or tuc.com; or Equifax, 800-685-1111 or equifax.com.) Reviewing that report can be quite an eye-opener. "It shows everything - from credit and charge cards to mortgages and student loans - indicating both open and closed accounts and payment track records," Coghill explains. Double-check all information, and report discrepancies immediately to the credit-card company in question. What you don't know can hurt you: A spotty credit history can hinder your ability to get a mortgage.

When Massachusetts lawyers Beth and Rob Martin married in February 2001, they planned to buy a house, a goal they couldn't accomplish without first having a serious financial discussion. "We reviewed our credit cards," says Beth, "and looked at our credit reports." Thankfully, there were no unpleasant surprises, and the couple bought a home.

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