Some people inquire about a potential mate’s age or how many previous partners they’ve had, but others are more interested in another number, MarketWatch.com reported today. Some 42 percent of adults say knowing someone’s credit score would affect their willingness to date that person, according to a survey of 1,000 adults by Bankrate.com. That’s up from nearly 40 percent last year. Women were nearly three times as likely to consider credit score a major influence on a potential partner compared to men (20 percent vs. 7 percent). Younger daters are not as concerned about these three digits: 45 percent of older millennials (those aged 27-36) said that knowing someone’s credit score would only have a minor impact on their desire to date. By showing an interest in these three digits, people are probably being smart rather than shallow. People are combining their finances when they marry, and that can impact their future happiness. In fact, the higher one’s credit score, the less likely you’ll separate from your partner. More than half of Americans (58 percent) said they wouldn’t marry someone with significant debt, according to a study of more than 2,300 adults from Avvo. While knowing someone’s credit score doesn’t necessarily reveal whether that person has a medical or student debt or even their annual income, it does indicate whether they are eligible for a loan.
