Married and on your parents’ cell plans

Combining accounts is a natural next step for couples to take, such as joining insurance accounts or merging bank accounts. However, there is one step that many couples are hesitant to take: joining digital plans.

Having joint streaming service accounts is relatively low risk, as there are no multiyear contracts involved, but many couples have reported that sharing accounts has caused difficulties in their relationship. Some couples have fought about the algorithm of their Spotify account being skewed by their partners taste in music and the hesitation to join accounts proves to be especially true when couples discuss joint cell phone plans. Many have reportedly stayed on their parents’ family plans well into adulthood.

Other couples have reported that sharing passwords felt like a safety risk, however, experts say that while it may be difficult to discuss, having access to passwords is a critical step to handling all the various accounts upon a partner’s death. There is no one-size-fits-all approach and each couple must assess what works best for their relationship.

For more information:

See Tatum Hunter “Married and on your parents’ cell plans” The Washington Post, August 8, 2022.

Special thanks to Naomi Cahn (Justice Anthony M. Kennedy Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.