Xizor, without being nosey, do you and your spouse have similar incomes? Mrs. Cool Chris and I do not, which is one reason we went the route we did.
Won't speak for Gary but I think you are misrepresenting how we do our "Joint" account. It applies to retirement, vacations, cars, everything you mentioned, so that our financial goals are in sync. It just spares us a conversation along the lines of "Honey, can I spend $10 of this CD (me)/ these earrings (her)?"