Numerous investigations can be found in the retirement planning literature. However, no studies have appeared that have examined how married individuals communicate and collaborate with one another when making decisions about the future. In this dissertation, three different established areas of literature are combined to assess how married individuals make their financial plans for retirement. Some 682 married individuals completed a questionnaire about how they make retirement decisions with their spouses. Of particular interest were differences between couples who collaborate with one another, and those in which one spouse severs as the primary planner. The findings from the investigation were illuminating. The tendency to collaborate was more often seen among respondents who had been married longer, had higher incomes, were good communicators, and who had shared goals and values. Findings also revealed that couples who collaborate are more likely to experience positive communication patterns, exhibited increased levels of task involvement, and perceive a more positive future for themselves in retirement. This investigation is significant because it is a multidisciplinary first step toward understanding marital decision making patterns in this important real-world domain
