Partner wants to keep finances totally separate after marriage, is this normal?

We kept things mostly separate for the first few years and it worked fine because we both earned similar and had no kids. But the moment we had our first child, the 50/50 model broke down fast, because I took no-pay leave and suddenly couldn't split evenly. We had to shift to proportional contribution based on income. My honest advice: separate is okay as a starting point, but agree now on what happens when incomes become unequal or one of you stops working temporarily. Marriage finances need flexibility. Don't treat it like a business partnership with rigid rules, life throws curveballs, especially in expensive Singapore.

Not a red flag by itself, but the reason behind it matters. My wife and I do a hybrid: joint account for shared stuff like flat, utilities, kids, groceries, and we each keep personal accounts for our own spending. Totally separate 50/50 with no shared pot can get awkward the moment one of you earns less, or when kids come and someone takes leave. Ask your partner why they want it fully separate. If it's about independence, fine, compromise on a joint household account. If it's because they don't trust merging with you, that's the conversation to have now, before signing the BTO. Money talk before marriage saves a lot of pain later.