Joint Accounts

Saving for a Home With an Uncommitted Partner

How to set long-term financial goals as a couple when the future of your relationship is uncertain

Illustration: Laurie Rollitt

Dear Joint Accounts,

My goal is to buy a home in the near future, and my live-in partner wants to help save for this, too. The only thing is, neither of us is sure of our future plans together. We’ve talked about marriage, and while it’s a possibility, we’re still pretty young and neither of us is 100% sure that’s where we’re headed. We think we’ll be together for a long time, but we’re not sure if it’s smart or even possible to buy a home together if we’re not married. But we also don’t want to get married just for the convenience of buying a home. How can we save for a joint future goal if our future together is uncertain?

— House Without a Spouse

First things first: The process of buying a home as a couple doesn’t really change with your marital status. My husband and I bought our home before we got married, and it was fairly straightforward: You just cosign a mortgage and establish what percentage ownership you each want on the paperwork.

“Whether you’re married or unmarried, the actual mechanics of buying a home are largely the same,” says Lexi…