By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Want to see if your relationship will last? Check your partner's credit score
cdb9bedd28dbb9964262ee8a3fa72277ddd116782c39e859393e1b2c4cb9256c
A paper by the U.S. Federal Reserve indicates that a correlation between shared high credit scores between partners and relationship success exists. What does that mean for you and your partner? - photo by Payton Davis
If lovers want to exchange vows in the future, they might want to disclose credit scores now, a paper from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board stated.

According to Mic, people's scores not only help them reap financial benefits but also predict whether they'll have long-lasting relationships. The paper indicated there's "a strong correlation between shared high credit scores between partners and long-term relationship success."

What's the Federal Reserve Board's lesson?

Stop putting off credit-monitoring to go somewhere in relationships, Mic's article read.

According to The Atlantic, economists analyzed data from the Fed's consumer-credit panel to understand the credit scores of couples in committed relationships.

The researchers tracked credit scores of millions of U.S. citizens over a 15-year period and found people started relationships with others whose credit scores compared to theirs, with couples with high credit scores lasting longer, The Independent reported.

On the other hand, couples who had large credit score gaps or poor, similar scores were more likely to call it quits, according to The Independent. Struggles regarding debt management, paying bills and saving money all explained why those couples split.

And Mic reported that's unfortunate news for millennials a group with less-than-impressive credit.

"(Young adults') credit scores are notoriously low, with most millennials averaging a meager 625 out of a possible 850 ... " according to Mic. "The prognosis is not good, according to the study: Low credit scores appeared to be clear indicators of subsequent relationship failure, as couples with an average credit score of 450 or less were found to be twice as likely to break up within four years than a couple with an average score of 750."

The Fed's paper stated "every additional 100 points" in a couple's average credit score dropped odds of separating by 30 percent, and according to Quartz, if a difference between couple's individual scores was greater than 66 points, the couple was more likely to break up within years two through four of the relationship.

In addition, Quartz reported a "pair's credit scores are likely to converge slightly over the course of a relationship."

The paper's authors wrote their research shows people's credit affects their lives in more ways than they thought.

"With the growing importance of household credit, credit scores have become a prominent characteristic of individuals that extends to areas outside the household finance sector," the authors reported.

"Creditworthiness" could hint at "an individual's general trustworthiness and commitment" in aspects that don't even deal with finance, Quartz's piece indicated like who takes out the trash or remembers special occasions.

According to Forbes, people set on improving their credit scores should first check them using a credit bureau. After that, consider getting a credit card and using it responsibly.

But that's as long as card users pay on time.

"When you pay a bill late, that information gets routed onto your credit reports and results in a lower credit score," according to Forbes. "Set up auto-pay to ensure you always pay on time. If you accidentally miss a due date, make the payment as soon as you realize credit bureaus are usually only notified after it has been 30 days."
Sign up for our E-Newsletters