Would you be offended or impressed if a man asked you about your credit history before deciding to date you seriously? According to the New York Times, some people are actually asking each other for their credit scores while on dates as a sort of litmus test. Just, you know, to make sure you’re not a collection agency-dodging loser.
“Credit scores are like the dating equivalent of a sexually transmitted disease test,” said Manisha Thakor, the founder and chief executive of MoneyZen Wealth Management, a financial advisory firm. “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.”
It’s difficult to quantify how many daters factor credit scores into their romantic calculations, but financial planners, marriage counselors and dating site executives all said that they were hearing far more concerns about credit than in the past. “I’m getting twice as many questions about credit scores as I did prerecession,” Ms. Thakor said.
Or, if you really want to cut to the chase, financially, you can find another Scrooge with Datemycreditscore.com or Creditscoredating.com. And on MyFICOForums, you can ask for counsel regarding suitors with tarnished credit:
In a post on the forum, one member asked for advice after finding out that her boyfriend’s credit score hovered around 400. Some members denounced the member as petty and materialistic while others counseled her to run away from him.
True, bad credit can impact the decisions couples make together, from securing housing to buying cars. And although we kind of doubt daters are regularly asking for this kind of information from potential matches (sorry, Times), money is always a concern in relationships.
We have a feeling most people are in one camp or another: Either the idea of fiscal responsibility turns you on, or you think the idea that money would come into play when deciding whether to date someone is reprehensible. Tell us below what side you’re on…
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