What you need to know about joint accounts

Joint bank accounts can be useful for paying bills, says Ruth Jackson. But they can also come with their own set of problems.

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Joint accounts will chain you together
(Image credit: Voyagerix)

Opening a joint bank account with someone can be more of a commitment than marrying them. Once you've opened the account, you become financially linked, so it's important to understand what this means.

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Ruth Jackson-Kirby

Ruth Jackson-Kirby is a freelance personal finance journalist with 17 years’ experience, writing about everything from savings accounts and credit cards to pensions, property and pet insurance.

Ruth started her career at MoneyWeek after graduating with an MA from the University of St Andrews, and she continues to contribute regular articles to our personal finance section. After leaving MoneyWeek she went on to become deputy editor of Moneywise before becoming a freelance journalist.

Ruth writes regularly for national publications including The Sunday Times, The Times, The Mail on Sunday and Good Housekeeping, among many other titles both online and offline.