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Who knew?!
By Caithlin Pena — Written on Jun 25, 2020
Love, trust, and open communication, among many other things define the success of your relationship. And now, you can add a new — and unexpected — factor: your credit scores.
According to a 2015 article, the Federal Reserve Board, the Brookings Institution, and the University of California in Los Angeles examined the credit scores of 49,363 couples from different credit companies.
Using a metric range of 280 to 850, in the first six years of a couple's relationship they found that the higher the credit scores for partners, the more likely their relationship was a success.
"They found that each 105-point bump in an individual's credit score made them 32 percent less likely to break up with their partner in the six years after getting together," said the article's author Zahra Barnes.
According to psychologist and sex therapist Arlene Goldman, people with high credit scores tend to be more responsible, whereas those with low credit scores tend to be impulsive.
"When deciding to marry or divorce someone, [people with high credit scores] may be more thoughtful and think about long-term effects," she said.
So, if you and the person you're dating both have low credit scores, you're two to three times more likely to break up than if you both have average or high scores.
Goldman also says that these 4 other financial factors may contribute to the success or downfall of your relationship:
1. You don’t agree on what to spend your money on.
"Money is one of the leading causes of relationship disagreements because it's really about control," Goldman said. The solution is to compromise and expect your partner to not always be happy at what you end up spending the money on.
2. One of you makes more money than the other.
Goldman suggests talking with your partner about each other's contribution, whether it's monetary or by keeping the house in tip-top shape. Appreciate what each other is bringing to the table of your relationship.
3. One of you is in a lot of debt.
According to Goldman, this is manageable as long as you both discuss it at the beginning before starting something serious. Also, talk about how you'll pay for it. If the neither partner agrees on the solution, the debt can become a deal breaker for one or both of you.
4. One or both partners are judgmental of the other.
"It’s not about one of you being the better person and having the right value," Goldman said. "It's about understanding your partner's point of view from a place of empathy."
The two of you may have completely different financial habits. One may tend to spend more, whereas the other prefers to save. Whatever they are, tackle the issues without judgment.
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Caithlin Pena is an editor for YourTango who enjoys books, movies, and writes about astrology and lifestyle topics.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in November 2015 and was updated with the latest information.