(Image credit: GETTY IMAGES) Second marriages have long been called a triumph of hope over experience — a line rooted in the assumption that remarriage simply repeats the dynamics of a first union. But that notion is increasingly outdated. Today's second marriages are so distinct from what first unions entail that they almost deserve a moniker of their own (“conscious recoupling,” anyone?). For one thing, people who remarry tend to be older almost by definition, with the fastest rate of growth in second unions happening among men and women ages 65 and up. And because they've had years of building a life separately before joining forces, these new partners typically come into the relationship with their own — sometimes sizable — assets and obligations, well-established careers and financial habits, often children and maybe ex-spouses from their previous marriage, and perhaps some emotional baggage as well. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor.…