A paper published by the Federal Reserve examines whether credit scores can predict the stability and longevity of a relationship that's starting to get serious. Their conclusions:
1. People with higher credit scores are more likely to be in a committed relationship and stay together.
2. People tend to form relationships with others who have a similar credit score.
3. Credit scores are indicative of trustworthiness in general, and couples with a mismatch in credit scores are more likely than others to see their relationships end for reasons not directly related to their use of credit.
The information was based on information provided by Equifax and includes a "risk score" similar to the FICO score. Both measure an individual's probability of failing to meet credit obligations in the not-too-distant future.
Individuals with above-average credit scores were 14 percent more likely to enter a committed relationship over the next year.
Among relationships that survive for two years, a better than average credit score implies a 37 percent lower chance of separation in the third and fourth years.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.