Here’s What Your Credit Score Says About Your Love Life

your credit score and your love life

Just when you think that you can find a little relief from shopping for meaningful gifts now that the holidays are over, you remember that it’s almost Valentine’s Day. It’s cliché; I know. I love Valentine’s Day. I always have, and I always will. Despite being married for almost 11 years and together 14 years, my husband and I always celebrate Valentine’s. We do lovely things for one another all the time, but we will take any excuse for another date night, another excuse to buy something wonderful for the other; we are just sappy like that. We also love the holiday because we make it about our kids, too.

With the holiday coming up, many of us are already thinking of what we might get our partners to show them that we love them and care, and that means it’s time to spend even more money. Flowers, chocolates, date nights, hotel rooms, babysitters, new outfits, new gifts; the expenses add up regularly. We will take advice from anyone. My husband’s best friend (who happens to be my cousin) recently offered me a few suggestions of things my husband might like for Valentine’s Day, and I’m sure his wife (my best friend) might have mentioned the new YSL bag that I’ve been eyeing to my own husband. Who knows?

We often take advice on where to get the best deals, find the best gifts and how to come up with something creative from others. One thing I can say for certain, however, is that I have never taken love advice from the Federal Reserve Bank. Seriously; I haven’t. Have you? It just so happens that perhaps we should be taking a little bit of romantic advice from the feds. They might not have a reputation as being very romantic over there, but that doesn’t meant they aren’t human in between raising interest rates and making financial decisions for the country; they know a thing or two about love, especially when it pertains to our credit scores.

Money and Marriage

We all know that one of the leading causes of divorce in the United States is finances. Couples who have vastly different spending and saving habits often do not communicate well with one another. We aren’t positive, but we can go ahead and take a stab in the dark here and feel confident that people who do not communicate well regarding their finances probably also do not communicate well in other areas of their relationship. It makes sense, then, that these couples might not last. Communication, after all, is key to any good relationship.

According to data obtained by Equifax, a major credit bureau, every couple with a 93-point increase in their credit score is more likely to stick together, continue their relationship and live a happy life. In fact, their chances of separating or divorcing actually fell more than 30% every time their scores went up by at least that much. The probability of divorce further fell another 37% in the two years after that. The data secured over 12 years from Equifax shows that couples who have a lower credit score are as many as three times more likely to divorce than anyone else.

What’s the Deal?

Life is far easier when you have no financial worries. When there is always money in the bank with which to pay your expenses and have some fun, life is a lot easier. There is no financial strain in a marriage. You both have financial freedom to do what you want, to have nice things and to live comfortably. The absence of financial worry is often some of the most amazing relief you will ever experience.

With that said, a lower credit score likely means that a couple has issues with money. Low credit scores indicate anything from job loss to a partner who spends too much, to irresponsibility, to a lack of communication. It all boils down to one thing; lower credit scores mean money troubles, and money troubles, more often than not, lead to relationship problems. The data from this study also shows that many partners tend to choose spouses with similar credit history, and those with better scores are far more likely to get married and stay that way.

What Does Your Credit Score Say About Your Love Life?

It might not sound like something that makes much sense, but your credit score says a lot about your life love whether you know it or not. For instance, your love life is probably thriving and a lot more enjoyable if you have a good score. You probably have a serious partner or spouse. If you don’t have one now, you will very likely have one in the future and your relationship is more likely to work out since you have a high credit score.

If your score is low and you are struggling, chances are good your future or current relationships are not looking too good. We certainly don’t want to be the bearers of bad news, but it seems that your troubled love life might be a good reason to go ahead and make it a point to get you finances in order. If for no other reason than you eventually want to have a successful relationship, you might want to consider this as an option.

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