Picture yourself on a romantic date with your dream man or woman; now picture them asking you what your credit score is. Do you cringe and fidget trying to find a way out of answering the question or do you proudly boast that your score is near perfect? This is the situation many singles are now finding themselves in.
According to interviews with 50 men and women over the age of 40, many agreed that a person’s credit rating is a more important issue than physical chemistry, shared interests, and whether or not the person has good job.
“Credit scores are like the dating equivalent of a sexually transmitted disease test…It’s a shorthand way to get a sense of someone’s financial past the same way an S.T.D. test gives some information about a person’s sexual past,” Manisha Thakor, founder and chief executive of MoneyZen Wealth Management, told the New York Times.
It might seem extreme but many financial planners, marriage counselors, and dating website executives are finding discussion of credit scores is on the rise in the dating scene. Financial advice forums are also seeing the buzzed about topic receive hundreds of responses both negative and positive. Dating websites exclusively for those who are seeking partners with good credit scores are also popping up.
Good credit can mean the difference between being approved or denied for a car, mortgage, or business loan. It could mean higher car insurance rates, interest rates on credit cards and approved loans, and in some extremes it could mean the difference between being hired or not.
Whether you’re single or not, finances can play a big role in your future as the topic is commonly referred to as a reason why married couples divorce.
To read more about how some singles and couples have learned to deal with such a risky question, visit The New York Times.
