Question about co-mingling of finances

[pathway2gc 0]

Hello fellow VJ'ers!

My situation is, me and my husband recently got married, but we've been together since 2006. He's been the bread winner ever since so we both couldn't wait for my EAD so I could start contributing to our household. He owns a small business, and all of our utility bills, credit card bills/payments, auto and home insurances, mortgage payments are linked to his business bank account. We have a joint checking and savings account (separate from his business account which he's had since he started his business 13 years ago), which we opened right after we got married, but we only use it for some grocery shopping, dining out, department store purchases but not as payment for utility bills. I'm a little worried that we might be grilled about this on our interview. Should we also have his business bank account statement ready, just in case? As for other evidences, we have both our names in our car insurance, cellphone bill (family plan and my name is assigned on one of the phone numbers-with my maiden name), and extension on one of his major credit cards, again with my maiden name because we've had the account for years. Those are the only evidences(financial) that we have, and we don't have any properties that have both our names because I never had a social security number and couldn't apply for a credit.

Please advise. Thank you guys and good luck to all of us.

Edited May 5, 2011 by pathway2gc

[Anh map 2,098]

The business bank account is not a marital item. So it would not be evidence of a bona fide marriage.

Things such as health insurance, wills, memberships (gym, etc.), mail addressed to the both of you, photos together with friends, tickets/receipts from travel together (since marriage), etc.

[pathway2gc 0]

The business bank account is not a marital item. So it would not be evidence of a bona fide marriage.

Things such as health insurance, wills, memberships (gym, etc.), mail addressed to the both of you, photos together with friends, tickets/receipts from travel together (since marriage), etc.

We don't have health insurance because we couldn't afford it. We have mails addressed to both of us, photo albums with families on both sides and friends, both from courtship to wedding to after wedding events, tickets/travel receipts since we got together, costco membership together, affidavit from his dad that we've been together since 2006 and that we got married on Valentine's day.

[katgrl 14]

It really doesn't sound like you have too much to worry about in my opinion. Are you joint on the utility bills? Does your husband have a retirement plan or life insurance? If so, you can be his beneficiary. You just got married; they understand that. When we had our interview, we had just opened a joint bank account and only had a few transactions on it. She did ask us if we had separate accounts and we both do. She said good. I guess because we didn't have much money in our joint account and she hoped we weren't that poor! Good luck to you and don't stress too much about it!

[pathway2gc 0]

It really doesn't sound like you have too much to worry about in my opinion. Are you joint on the utility bills? Does your husband have a retirement plan or life insurance? If so, you can be his beneficiary. You just got married; they understand that. When we had our interview, we had just opened a joint bank account and only had a few transactions on it. She did ask us if we had separate accounts and we both do. She said good. I guess because we didn't have much money in our joint account and she hoped we weren't that poor! Good luck to you and don't stress too much about it!

Thanks katgrl. I guess I shouldn't worry to much. He doesn't have any retirement plan or life insurance. But we both have separate bank accounts.

[desmond&molly 5]

Personally I would take evidence of his business accounts. If they question you on the joint account (which I highly doubt), you an explain as in this post that other expenses are on this separate account because your spouse has his own business. If they ask for evidence of that you have the paperwork with you. Good luck!