Here's the second in our series on Couples & Money. The first article showed you how to do your taxes [1] without getting divorced.

Why You Should Each Have Retirement Accounts
"Both partners in a marriage [2] should fund for retirement [3]," says investment [4] specialist David Bach, whose California firm manages more than half a billion dollars of individual investors' money [5]. Bach, author of Smart Couples Finish Rich, (Broadway Books), says, "The single [6] biggest mistake I see women make with money [5] is never funding a retirement [3] account because their husband has a 401(k)."

Women, especially, can benefit from having their own retirement [3] account if they are widowed, Bach says. What's more, "if a couple gets divorced, the retirement [3] assets in most states are split 50/50."

Bach says it's vital for both people in a marriage [2] to fund for retirement [3] because they are going to need the money [5] in their mature years. "One IRA plan plus Social Security benefits won't be enough," he warns.

Another reason why both partners should fund for retirement [3] is to take advantage of the tax [7] write-off. "If both people fund a 401(k) plan in 2001," Bach explains, "they can each save $10,500 and this is a total tax [7] write-off."

A similar situation prevails with deductible IRAs. If both spouses fund a $2,000 IRA, then they both get a $2,000 tax [7] write-off. "That's huge," Bach says.

Attorney Peter Gellerman of Santa Monica, Calif., says, "You'll never regret funding an IRA." Gellerman, who specializes in estate and retirement [3] planning, offers these suggestions for ensuring financial security: