Same-sex couples who tie the knot in New York starting Sunday should visit a financial adviser for advice on money matters when they get back from their honeymoon.
And that advice holds true for any gay couple married under state law.
The reason: While gay couples who say "I do" in state-sanctioned marriage ceremonies are afforded the same rights as traditional husbands and wives in the state where they get hitched, it doesn't mean these newlyweds are recognized as a "single economic unit" by Uncle Sam, says Jennifer Hatch, president of Christopher Street Financial, a New York City-based financial advisory firm that caters to the gay community.
"The underlying premise of Gay Money 101 is that married heterosexual couples are perceived by the federal government as a single economic unit, but same-sex couples are basically treated as legal strangers or roommates at best," says Hatch, who is gay. "That inequality presents a money problem for gays."
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Complete article at USA Today : http://usat.ly/nv72l0
