Singles Survey Says: Good Credit Trumps a Good Body

Can money really buy you love? We won’t go there, but we will tell you what our latest credit survey, Edelman Berland's freecreditscore.com Credit Score Report 2013, says: credit influences your love life.

Plenty of research links marriage strife and money problems, but our survey of 1,000 single adults (500 men, 500 women) ages 30 to 49 shows that unmarried people are also thinking about their partner’s money habits, including credit.

Survey respondents said:

• Financial responsibility in a potential mate is as important as looks, and more important than career ambitions.

• When considering a potential mate, people care far more about finances than they do religion or politics.

• A good credit score makes a potential romantic partner look more attractive, and a bad score can cause friction in a romantic relationship.

In fact, good credit habits apparently can make you look much more appealing to the opposite sex. Two thirds of all respondents said a good credit score was important. And paying bills on time – a key contributor to a good credit score – is a turn-on for 92 percent of women and 80 percent of guys.

And our respondents aren’t just thinking about credit, they’re talking about it, too. Nearly half of all singles surveyed said they’d talked with a romantic partner about their credit, and 39 percent of those conversations took place within the first year of the relationship.

Finally, just in case you think we’ve put a damper on the flames of love with all this money and credit talk, here’s a stat for all you hopeless romantics out there: the majority of respondents (84 percent) said a bad credit score would not keep them from dating someone.

So while it may be true that money can’t buy you love, how well you manage it – and credit – just might be the attribute that sweeps that special someone completely off her (or his) feet.

This article is provided for general guidance and information. It is not intended as, nor should it be construed to be, legal, financial or other professional advice. Please consult with your attorney or financial advisor to discuss any legal or financial issues involved with credit decisions.