POV: You’re a woman who's worked tirelessly to build your career, invest intentionally, and values financial independence. As you plan for your future with your partner, there’s a voice in the back of your mind: “How will I protect my financial independence that I’ve worked so hard to achieve?”

The answer is a prenup. Yes, the document sometimes associated with negativity is, in fact, a powerful tool for women to protect their assets and foster financial growth (whether it's from progressing in your career or being part of the Great Wealth Transfer). Yes, prenups do it all.

Shifting the narrative

Would you decide not to get car insurance or health insurance? No, of course not. (You see where we’re going with this …) If you’re stuck in the mindset that prenups are preparing for failure, try reframing your thinking.

Prenups ≠ failure just like health insurance ≠ bad health

The modern prenup is not about preparing for failure; it's about planning for success. Prenups are a proactive way for women to safeguard their assets, protect their future earnings, establish financial independence within a marriage, and create a better marital foundation built on transparency and communication.

The benefits of a prenup

Protecting pre-marital assets and asset appreciation

Did you know more single women own real estate than men these days? Women are investing more while single and getting married later, so it’s no wonder protecting those assets you bring into the marriage (and their future appreciation) is so important.

Whether you want to protect real estate, investment accounts, savings, business assets, or something else, a prenup can help. Prenups specifically outline who owns what in the event the marriage ends.  

Example: Let’s say you own a piece of real estate before marriage. You can ensure that your original investment stays separate, but you can also protect the appreciation of the real estate that grows during the marriage. For example, you enter the marriage with a home worth $300,000, and you eventually divorce, but now that home is worth $1,000,000. You can ensure your original $300,000 is protected, and the appreciation of $700,000 is as well.

Protecting future earnings

Maybe you’re not in the C-suite just yet, but you will be one day. A prenup can specify that your future income and assets acquired during the marriage are treated as separate property. This means you get to keep what you earn, empowering you to continue building your wealth.

Many people think they don’t need a prenup because they don’t have any money. That’s just not true. If you’re ambitious and have big plans for your future, a prenup is for you.

Keeping it in the family (safeguarding inheritances)

As you may have heard, the Great Wealth Transfer is upon us and a record number of single millennial women will be on the receiving end of it. You know what that means — women need to consider protecting those future inheritances.

A prenup can ensure any future inheritance or gift you receive stays your separate property in the event of a divorce. Even if you aren’t sure how much you’ll receive, or if you’ll receive anything at all, a prenup can provide protection.

Under the umbrella of inheritances are gifts. You can also ensure any gifts you receive from your parents (or other family) stay yours with a prenup. Think: large wedding gifts or other special-occasion gifts.

Avoiding your partner’s debt

Prenups can ensure you only stay responsible for the debt you take out‌ — ‌not your partner’s debt.

Whether your partner has pre-existing debt or takes out debt during the marriage in the future, you can protect yourself from absorbing any responsibility for that debt with a prenup.

For example, without a prenup, you can be required to pay a portion of your spouse’s debt, even if your name isn’t on it. Scary, right?

Supporting career growth

For women who are entrepreneurs or are climbing the corporate ladder, career trajectories can be unpredictable. Here are some prenup clauses that may be beneficial for someone looking to support their career growth:

• Future earnings: Address potential earnings, bonuses, and other compensation that might be acquired during the marriage.
• Current/future businesses: Ensure future business interests are kept separate (even if you don’t have a business yet).
• Mitigation against debt: Avoid becoming responsible for your partner’s debt so you can focus on your career growth.
• Spousal support: Let’s say you supported your partner for years while they got their career off the ground. You should consider ensuring you have future spousal support from them in the event of a split so you get back that same support for your career.

These clauses can be particularly beneficial for women whose careers might take a significant leap forward in the future.

Creating a stronger relationship

Don’t believe us? We'll let the numbers speak for themselves. In an internal HelloPrenup survey of thousands of respondents, 83% of people who signed a prenup felt more connected to their partner after signing one.  

Aligning life goals

Contrary to popular belief, going through the prenup can actually strengthen your relationship. For one, it opens the door to honest conversations about money, values, and goals.

For example, what are your joint financial goals? When do you want to retire? Are kids in the future? Will someone stay home with them? The prenup process will encourage you to ask and answer many questions that are crucial to your future together.

Fostering financial transparency

Plus, prenups require financial disclosure. This is a legal requirement set out by every single state mandating that both parties be transparent with their finances. This means bearing it all‌ — ‌sharing your income, debt, assets, and potential inheritances with your future spouse.

Dispelling prenup myths

There are so many misconceptions about prenups floating around out there. We’re here to tell you the facts. Prenups are:

• Not just for the wealthy: Prenups can benefit couples at any income level who want to ensure their financial security. Whether you want to protect $10,000 or $10,000,000, a prenup is useful. Plus, you never know how much you may earn in the future‌ — ‌a prenup protects future earnings, as well!  
• Not a sign of distrust: Prenups are a practical tool for addressing potential financial challenges with transparency and respect. A survey of thousands of couples with prenups revealed that 83% of people feel a much stronger connection to their partner after the prenup process.
• Not difficult to get: With HelloPrenup, they’re no longer expensive and headache-inducing. You can get a prenup done in just a few hours for just $599 per couple. And you can do it all from home without speaking to anyone. Want to add on attorneys? They have that available for flat rates, too.

The bottom line

Prenuptial agreements are not just legal documents; they’re financial tools that can help women take control of their financial destinies. By protecting assets and inheritances, supporting career growth, and fostering financial transparency, prenups can help women not just maintain their wealth but grow it during their marriage.