I did not offer them romantic advice, or tell them to follow their hearts, or any of the soft and useless things people say.

I taught them the hard, practical, unassailable facts that had saved my own life, the facts no one had ever taught me.

Keep track of your account numbers.

Save copies of every deed and title.

Monitor the corporate and tax filings your name is attached to.

And always, always, no matter how much you love and trust the person you have built your life with, maintain one account, in your own name, that is entirely and only yours.

Not because everyone you love will betray you.