There’s no denying that love is blind. It’s a sentiment that brings out the romantic in us all. But when it comes to matters of money, both you and your partner had better keep your eyes wide open and remain in lockstep if you’re interested in going the distance. It’s said that money matters are the root of all marital discord, and who would dispute this claim? Especially in an economy as fragile as the one we live in today.

Marrying someone with bad credit will not adversely affect your score, any more than theirs will be positively impacted by your good standing. It’s only when married couples apply for credit jointly that bad overspill occurs, creating guilt by association and driving scores south like a duck in winter.

But there are several steps that you can take to ensure your spouse’s derogatory credit debt doesn’t hurt yours. Keeping separate checking accounts is one way. Avoiding applying for joint accounts is another.

The good news is that credit is a two-way street, and there are things that a spouse with good credit can do to positively impact their beloved’s unfortunate circumstance. Adding your FICO-challenged spouse as an authorized buyer to an account in good standing will have the result of reporting positively to their credit bureau, as well as yours. Unless, of course, said beloved decides to go on a shopping rampage that would make Ivana Trump blush. In that case, bad credit may be the least of your concerns.