With Valentine's Day creeping up on us (less than 9 days away as of this writing), a new survey is giving folks something else to worry about when attracting a potential mate - their credit score.
According to a new survey from Finder.com, some 72 percent of Americans say they'd reconsider romance with a potential partner if it turned out they were under a pile of debt. That means if you have a lot of high balances on your credit cards, you could be making dating far more difficult than it should be.
Of course, the type of debt you're in matters quite a bit. For example, survey respondents reported being turned off the most by partners who had high levels of credit card debt. Respondents said anything more than $12,000 was way too much.
Student debt came in as the second-least desirable type of debt with 52 percent of people saying that people who take out extravagant loans for school would be unacceptable. Potential paramours start getting nervous and begin looking for other options when their romantic partners are more than $48,000 on the hook for student loans. That's not great news for the more than two-in-five people who graduate with student debt.
However, if you're taking out a lot of payday loans, 49 percent of people surveyed say that type of debt is the least desirable. If you have anything more than $4,885, you're dramatically shrinking your pool of potential partners.
Men and women differ slightly on the how much they accept debt. Men are more likely to move on if their partner owes either student loan or mortgage debt. Women are more likely to take issue with other types of loans including payday loans, auto loans, and credit card bills.
Don't worry, you're not doomed to die alone if you have a ton of debt. Experts say communication is key when it comes to letting potential partners know about any sizable debt - even if it's uncomfortable.