couples

Having trouble approaching the dreaded financial discussion with your significant other? Our friends over at LearnVest are here to tell you why it's important and how you can do it successfully.

“We need to talk.”

Generally speaking, no good conversation starts with this statement . . . except when it comes to finances.

For anyone in a relationship, money isn’t just something that you should talk about: it’s a topic that you need to cover together. In fact, of the many arguments that couples can have, fights over money have been shown to be the best predictors of divorce — even more than spats over sex!

The good thing is that most people in a relationship want to be transparent about their money . . . they just don’t know how to do it. According to a recent Lawyers.com survey, 40 percent of couples (folks ranged in age from 25 to 55) agree that financial honesty is more important than being honest about fidelity.

RELATED: Long-Married Couples Confess — How We Talk About Money

So we asked LearnVest founder and CEO Alexa von Tobel — who just got married this past spring — to share her own strategy for having a productive money talk with your significant other.

Plus, you can also check out LearnVest’s new Love & Money Bootcamp, created in conjunction with Cosmopolitan magazine. The five-day program covers everything from how to successfully combine your money to the best ways to prep for your financially happy future together.

Why the Money Talk Is so Important

“Discussing finances openly with your partner is crucial because money plays into every aspect of our lives, from the jobs we take to the way we raise our children,” said Alexa. “Since it affects so many major decisions, it’s necessary to check in with your partner from time to time to make sure that you’re on the same page when it comes to your finances.”

And we’re not just referring to married couples. It’s necessary to have the money talk as soon as you start to get serious with someone, so you can lay the right foundation for further conversations as your relationship progresses.

Don’t know where to start? Here are Alexa’s top five tips for acing that first icebreaker money chat with your significant other:

Read on to find out what made the list.

File this under unions no one saw coming: Agyness Deyn eloped with actor Giovanni Ribisi last Friday. According to Crown City News, the couple was spotted "passionately kissing" in line at the eastern branch of the Los Angeles County Registrar's office. When asked if they were there to get married, they shyly said yes. Ribisi also added that he and Deyn had been dating for "a while."

A spokesperson for Ribisi confirmed the happy news on Thursday afternoon, saying, "Agyness Deyn and Giovanni Ribisi quietly married in Los Angeles over the weekend." Deyn previously dated Josh Hubbard of The Paddingtons for four years but ended the relationship in 2008. She told The Daily Mail in March that she hadn't dated anyone for several months, partially due to her hectic acting schedule.

"The fact is I'm choosy, but mainly about a man's character," she said. "He has to be interesting, funny, and clever. I don't even mind if he's not very good-looking."

The months leading up to your wedding can be stressful and exhausting. Speaking from personal experience, the quality of sleep, or the amount of sleep you get during this time often takes a beating — let's just say my sleepwalking is in overdrive at the moment. When this happens, a vicious cycle begins to brew because as soon as you aren't getting enough sleep, you'll start eating more, feel foggy-headed, and you're more susceptible to getting sick.

In an effort to stay on track with your sleep cycle, make sure you get at least seven hours of sleep at night so you can be alert throughout the day. Even if that means having to go to bed earlier than usual, it's worth it. Feeling tired and exhausted will decrease your productivity, and you'll accomplish less than if you were to sleep a little longer. And if you're finding it difficult to sleep at night, try making your bedroom dark, so that the darkness signals your brain to wind down. Also try eating at least two hours before bed so your food has time to digest, and run a hot bath to clear your mind and relax your muscles. Make sure it's a team effort with you and your partner. Trying these tips together will help put you both on the same sleep cycle. And while it seems like you have a never-ending to-do list for your wedding, it's more likely that you'll get things done effectively if you and your partner are well rested.

Just in time for Valentine's Day is Fitness Magazine's interview with Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn. Besides talking about what her diet and workout schedule is, Lindsey gave the mag a peek at what it's like to be married to fellow Olympian and former US Ski Team athlete Thomas Vonn. If you watched the Winter Olympics last year, then you already know that Thomas was by Lindsey's side the entire way — not only is Thomas Lindsey's husband, but he also serves as her coach and adviser — in more ways than one.

• On having any rivalry: "No! We're each other's biggest cheerleaders. He supports me 100 percent. We're opposites that attract; every cliche you can think of is true when it comes to us. I'm the emotional, spontaneous one who listens to my heart, and he's logical and focuses on the details."
• On going to Thomas for advice: "I ask his opinion about everything. On the mountain, I ask, 'Am I doing this correctly? Was that run good?' I'll also ask him, 'Do you like this dress for the red-carpet event? Do you like my hair?' He's always right. Even if there's something I think is supertrendy and cute, he'll say, 'I wouldn't do that if I were you.' He's a pretty good stylist."
• On working out together: "Thomas doesn't want to work out with me ever. We're too competitive. If we're side by side on the treadmill, I'll be checking his speed. I can't help myself. He's like, 'What are you doing?' I say, 'I'm going faster than you!'"

• Time to get another type of physical — Glo
• How romantic are you? — Huffington Post
• 3 reasons to watch season three of the Jersey Shore — BuzzSugar
• 6 dating games that are so much hotter now — Glamour
• 10 commandments of dating (for women) — The Frisky
• Death of the bookstore — College Candy
• Sex tips inspired by women's magazines — The Hairpin
• Beat the Winter blahs — SavvySugar

After two weeks of dinners, happy hours, and parties with all types of couples this holiday, I started to notice some patterns. Every relationship, of course, is a complex and unique little creature. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that most couples in my life — new and established, young and old, happy and troubled — can be lumped into at least one of a few distinct categories. Here are my completely untested, nonscientific findings:

• The PDA couple: Loves each other. A lot. And isn’t afraid to show it, whether the venue is appropriate for smooching or not.
• The "just pals" couple: Opposite of the PDA couple. So low-key about their relationship, you sometimes forget they’re romantically involved. With a little luck, your parents fall into this category.
• The bickerers: Seem to get into trivial arguments all the time — or at least whenever they’re in public. Whether they think it’s cute, or it just strains their relationship to be social, you may never know.
• The lopsided couple: Separate, and not so equal, either. One half of the couple clearly wears the pants in the relationship, and friends are subjected to frequent and uncomfortable power plays.
• The inspirational couple: It may be your grandparents, your aunt and uncle, or that couple you’ve known since high school, but everyone knows a pair who reinforces the fact that healthy, happy relationships do exist. When you spend time with this duo, take notes.

Anything I missed?

Source: Flickr user garryknight

Newly engaged Odette Yustman and Dave Annable from Brothers and Sisters have great acting chops, but it's their couples style that has me taking notes lately. Every time they're photographed together on the red carpet, they look impeccable and put-together, all without losing that cool, youthful spunk. She's trendy with a classic edge, favoring tailored pieces, fashion-forward frocks, and minimal bling. He digs the preppy look but often funks it up with cool sweaters, skinny ties, and sneakers. Let them serve as inspiration for dressing in harmony with your pair, all without losing your individual flair.

To see more stylish outfits from Odette and Dave, read more