With Valentine’s Day just days away, Alex Edwards says a perfect smile or strong chemistry may fade — but a bad credit score could last a lifetime.
Edwards, author of the self-help book "Mortgage Before Marriage," told Scripps News that prioritizing financial security before tying the knot transformed his relationship for the better.
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"My wife and I purchased real estate before marriage and what we realized was she had her own real estate — multi-families — I had my own multi-family [real estate]," Edwards said. "Our tenants paid for our wedding and they weren't invited."
"Then we started realizing the power of finances and love," he added. "Once we're on the same level, conversations became stronger and more in depth. And what we realized as well, is we could use finances to take care of everything outside of love and we could focus on love."
Edwards said the inspiration for the book came partly from observing more women becoming financial leaders in their relationships.
"About 40% of households are now led by women, meaning they are the breadwinner," he said. "So we have to protect the women and we have to protect their finances and women have to protect their finances."
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His views are also shaped by personal experience.
"I witnessed my mother get financially abused by her husband because she had less than," Edwards said. "So today it's very important to pick the right partner. And how do we pick the right partner? We can't lead with our heart. Our hearts will rip us off. Our mind, our mind won't rip us off."
Watch Scripps News' full interview with Alex Edwards in the video player above.
