An open and frank discussion about your life goals and events is necessary even before the wedding, experts say. Once those issues have been nailed down, you can go on to discuss how to manage big-ticket items such as renovations and investments, as well as regular daily expenses.

Take Mr Brian See Toh, 35, and his wife Shu Wen, 32, for example. They have been married for almost five years and have two children, two-year-old Kai Ze and five-month-old Kai Xi.