Determining a financial plan that works might take months; many couples struggle for years before reaching a balance. Defining and discussing your money styles is first step, setting goals is second.

Review your financial picture. Are you both satisfied with your knowledge and control of “your” money and “our” money? Are you both knowledgeable about banking, insurance, investments, credit cards?

The routine business of a new life together should include following:  Reevaluation of life, health, auto and other insurance coverage  A change of beneficiary on insurance policies and company pension plans  Notification to social security of your marriage to ensure eligibility for your spouse's benefits and change of W-4 withholding  An assessment of impact of remarriage on alimony or pension/retirement benefits from a prior marriage  A consultation with an accountant to learn impact your marital status will have on your federal or state income tax obligations  In a remarriage, be aware that income of a new spouse may impact eligibility for financial aid of college-age children from a prior marriage.

You may need to consult your banker, your employer, your insurance agent, your accountant, your attorney or other professionals to accomplish these tasks.

Your goal in tying fiscal knot is to protect your spousal rights and save money. Begin your research before wedding and make sure you follow through.

Loveandthelaw.com should be your first stop - it’s an easy and inexpensive way to stay informed.

To a significant degree, your daughter’s success in life and in love is in your hands.

As fathers go through process of raising daughters, they may have to question everything they thought they knew about sexes and difference between men and women. How is it that you learn about these things?

You learn by allowing your daughters to teach you about them every day. You learn by not attempting to control or protect your daughters. You learn by opening up your hearts, and not having answers all of time for your daughters (or your sons).

If you can allow your daughters to enjoy being female as much as you enjoy being male, you’ve taken a big first step. If you can also allow your daughter to make most of her own decisions, you will probably enjoy a great relationship with her. You will also know a lot more about women than you did before.

Here are some action points for fathers with their daughters:

•Fully explore your expectations for your daughter. See where you may be too controlling in her life, or are overly protecting her.

•Create special times with your daughter each week, one-on-one, when you can ask her questions about her life and become more fully aware of who she is. Make this time sacred and let her know it’s important to you.

•Expect your daughter to be strong and competent; she’ll know that you do and will respond accordingly.

•If your daughter is a teen-ager or close to it, explore your attitude about your daughter’s sexuality; many fathers are uncomfortable with this and leave their daughters emotionally when they need them most.

•Be a great model for how men treat women in your relationship with your wife.

•Talk to other fathers who have had daughters, and find out how they have dealt with challenges of raising a daughter.

Your daughter is depending on your healthy attitude to help her to navigate a culture that is not always positive for girls.

Take a step back and examine your view towards women and girls. Are there changes you want to make?

Your daughter will help you to make those changes if you’ll just listen.

Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC, coaches men to be better fathers and husbands. He is the author of “25 Secrets of Emotionally Intelligent Fathers” http://www.markbrandenburg.com/father.htm For more great tips and action steps for fathers, sign up for his FREE bi-weekly newsletter, “Dads, Don’t Fix Your Kids,” at http://www.markbrandenburg.com.