Corgis think they're smarter than people — and when it comes to love, maybe they are. (Photo: Shutterstock)
According to a WalletHub survey, when love comes in the door, fiscal responsibility goes out the window—at least for some. And while 51 percent of respondents say they wouldn't marry someone with bad credit, that's not hindering some of the spendthrift romantics as they prepare for a day of hearts and flowers.
The freewheeling spending tendency seems to be more common among the male of the species. Men are nearly three times more likely than women to be prepared to go into credit card debt to buy a Valentine's gift for their beloved. Twenty-two percent of men are willing to cast caution to the winds, compared with just 8 percent of women.
That doesn't bode well for a long-term relationship, since 40 percent of people overall say that irresponsible spending is a bigger turnoff than bad breath. Interestingly, 60 percent of women would decline a proposal from a fellow with money woes—but just 41 percent of guys seem to regard that as a red flag in a relationship.
Flinging plastic around could actually lead to a termination of a relationship, with 46 percent of people saying they'd break up with their significant other over mad spending. The only fault that promised more breakups was cheating, with 55 percent of people saying they'd show their partners the door over it.
In addition, 53 percent of people say they believe financial infidelity can be worse than cheating (again, women regard this more sternly, with 57 percent saying it's a deal-breaker, compared with 49 percent of men).
But while 37 percent of respondents overall say they wouldn't even date someone with bad credit, apparently love still might win out—with 86 percent saying it's more important than money. Interestingly, more men than women think so, although not by much—87 percent of men take that view, compared with 84 percent of women.
That said, financial sins do weigh heavily on a relationship, with financial secrets being the worst money problem in a relationship for 35 percent of respondents. That's followed by irresponsible spending (27 percent), a high level of debt (15 percent), not saving for the future (12 percent) and ruining your credit score (8 percent).
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Marlene Satter
Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.
