My wife and I have been married for five years, and we have been arguing constantly about finances lately. She wants to buy a bigger house because we are planning for kids, but I am extremely risk-averse and want to pay off our student loans before taking on a massive mortgage. Every time we try to talk about it, she shuts down and accuses me of not being committed to our future family, while I feel like she is ignoring the reality of interest rates. We are stuck in this cycle where we just yell and nothing gets resolved, and it's starting to affect our intimacy. Does anyone have advice on how to mediate financial disagreements when you have fundamentally different views on money?

From Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

"A penny saved is a penny earned—clear the debt before adding more"

Interest rates are your enemy. Every month you carry student loans, you pay for the privilege of owing money. A bigger house means a bigger mortgage means more interest. Your wife sees the future family; you see the present burden. Both are valid—but mathematics favors paying debt first.

From Abigail Adams and Her Times

"A strong partnership requires two independent minds united in purpose"

You are both right, and you are both talking past each other. She hears "no house" as "no family." You hear "big mortgage" as "no security." Stop debating numbers and discuss fears. What does she need to feel your commitment? What do you need to feel safe? The spreadsheet comes after the conversation.