Income changes - a job loss, a parental leave, a business downturn, a promotion - are among the most common triggers for couples' financial stress. The best protection against income disruption is an emergency fund of three to six months of essential household expenses, built and maintained as a shared priority before the disruption arrives. When a disruption occurs, hold an immediate budget review, identify which expense categories can be reduced in the short term, confirm the expected duration of the change if possible, and activate the emergency fund rather than immediately reaching for credit. Treating an income disruption as a shared household challenge rather than one partner's problem or failure is both more accurate and more productive.