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If you haven’t heard about the recent demise of Kris Humpheries and Kim Kardashian after just 72 days of marriage from a multi-million dollar wedding, I don’t know where you’ve been.

In the reality show, “Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s,” it was very obvious that Kris and Kim’s relationship was doomed from the start due to Kim being used to her own space and Kris being used to spending the majority of his time training in Minnesota, rather than galavanting around LA and New York. However, I would argue that the biggest issue they had came down to their backgrounds. Kris came from a modest background in Minnesota and found success in his basketball talent. Kim has always grown up filthy rich and never had to work for anything.

Because of Kris’ upbringing, he lives modestly despite his multi-million dollar NBA contract. Kim just wasn’t having it. In one episode, Kim made it clear that if she moved to New York with Kris, so that they could be closer to Kris’ hometown and family and Kim could keep up her modeling career, that she could not live a lesser lifestyle than she does in LA. In another episode, Kris playfully throws Kim in the ocean at Bora Bora, and she comes out cursing and crying because she lost her $75,000 diamond earrings. In that same episode, Kim throws a fit about the Presidential villa right in front of their private butler who put the room together.

Kris could not make sense of Kim’s obsession with expensive taste and her never ending complaining, even though she had everything she wanted. I believe that this is what really drove them apart. It tells us that even to the rich and the famous, it’s so important for couples to sit down and talk about finances. Ask your significant other questions about their beliefs. What should we focus on when spending money? What is most important to save for? Do you value money, or spend it frivolously? Do you think it’s important to donate money? Do you have a budget? Should we create a budget? Can we stick to a budget? Do you have financial goals? If you wanted a big ticket item, such as a $1,000 55” TV or a brand new car, would you just go buy it or would we discuss it first? It doesn’t matter if you make $30,000 per year or $30,000,000 per year, financial issues are going to be prominent in your relationship.

If you do end up having this conversation with your significant other and you can’t seem to agree on certain financial problems, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your relationship is doomed. At WolfBridge Financial, we can sit down with you and discuss the disagreements you are having. We will create a financial solution, customized specifically to your lifestyle and needs. No matter what your income level is, or what your financial goals are, we are here to help. It’s much more rewarding for us to be able to create a plan that will keep a couple together, rather than have to create plans for couples who are splitting because they were unaware that the services were available. Furthermore, your life will likely be more fulfilling if you can save your relationship rather than end up in turmoil. Now that’s a story for the newsstands.

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Viviana and her group have reached their goal of raising $1,600, of which we funded $25, so that they are able to purchase bean seeds, compost, and other farming supplies for their agricultural business. We hope that this credit will allow the group to increase productivity and sustain profits, so that their children will remain in school. The group will start paying back their loan in February, 2012, and we will receive payments each month for six months until our loan is paid back in full. Then, we will be able to re-loan the money to another entrepreneur in a developing country.

We have enough money in our Kiva account to make one more loan before we start receiving re-payments. I will make this loan in December. So far, we have contributed to groups of women in Pakistan, Senegal, and Ecuador. These small “microloans” can do so much for people who have no other way to obtain credit. Kiva gift cards are great gifts for family and friends this season! When you purchase a gift card for $25, you give someone the chance to lend the money to an individual or group that speaks to them the most. Then when the money is repaid to their account, they can re-lend the money, or cash it out. Of course, the idea is that they will re-lend the money and hopefully add to the account themselves. You can make gift card purchases online at www.kiva.org.