Is it true if I marry my boyfriend that his student loan debt becomes mine too? --Rennette Fortune @RFortuneMedia viaTwitter.
Short answer: No.
His student loan debt is his alone and his payment history for those loans stays on his credit history, not yours.
When you are ready to buy a house together, though, his credit history will affect the interest rate you pay.
His debt will weigh you down in other ways, too.
Here's how: Every dollar he pays toward student loans is a dollar he isn't contributing to your monthly expenses, vacation fund or retirement planning.
Is he doubling down and focusing on paying off the loans fast, while you shoulder more of the expenses for now? For true love, it's probably a pretty good tradeoff.
But you still need to have "the talk" with him. Figure out:
-- Does he have a plan to pay the loans off in 10 years (the standard repayment plan) or less?
-- Are you prepared to accept a lower standard of living until they are paid off? Be clear about your goals and how long it will take to get there.
-- Does he have high-interest credit card debt and live beyond his means? Then you have a problem. If he's cavalier about the debt load -- and living on credit cards or ignoring his student loan debt -- you are in for trouble ahead.
It's his debt, but it affects you.
Related: Loans disappear: The student loan hack you don't know about
Related: 5 biggest student loan mistakes
--Christine Romans is CNN Chief Business Correspondent and author of Smart is the New Rich: Money Guide for Millennials. The book is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com and in bookstores next week. Romans is giving away a copy to each person whose question is being answered this week.
Millennials: What's your most pressing money question? Are you worried about getting a job? Ask Christine Romans your question here, or on Twitter or Facebook using #askchristine and @cnnmoney.
