[N]ot too far back in time, men who tested negative for a sexually transmitted disease proudly displayed or talked about their “card” that proved they were free of diseases. While people still want to know a potential sexual partner is physically healthy, a growing number of people playing the dating game also want assurance that their dates have a good credit score and are in excellent financial health as well. Since money is a major factor behind marital arguments and even divorces, a growing number of people are concerned with their partner’s financial standing long before they even consider popping the question.
Unfortunately, we’ve all heard the stories of a husband and wife who cannot qualify for a mortgage together because one half of the couple has a checkered financial history. Since 2008, banks have become tighter than ever with lending requirements and are even denying couples with excellent credit their dreams of owning a home together. Hence, a poor credit score may cast someone as undateable depending on which circles he travels in.
People with credit scores below 660 are typically viewed as financially irresponsible in not only the eyes of potential dates and lenders, but also by insurance companies and even utility companies. Dating someone with a much lower credit score than you have can lead to heartache if you get serious and cannot overcome the financial handicap your partner presents. Since poor credit ratings can cost even a single person hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest payments over a 30-year mortgage, working people with good credit scores are less likely these days to throw caution to the wind in the name of love.
Financial advisors have reported in major media outlets like “The New York Times” that more people are wondering about their date’s credit score these days than they were pre-recession. Some websites have popped up that try to create a perfect match not only on classic compatibility factors such as religion and physical attraction, but also credit scores.
Generally, people are squeamish when discussing topics such as money and sexuality. Thus it is impossible to determine just how often a poor credit score casts an otherwise dateable person out of the romance game. However, it cannot be denied that being financially responsible can help you find a lot more than just lower interest rates on a condo.