Inaccurate photos, lazy pickup lines and outdated references to The Office are all mainstays on Tinder, Hinge and Bumble profiles these days.
But, increasingly, the apps are also rife with… people’s credit scores?
Yes, really: It’s become a trend for folks to share their credit scores on Tinder, Hinge and the like, usually by posting a screenshot from FICO alongside the requisite photo with a baby and photo with a dog. But while the latter two indicate you’re good with kids and love animals, respectively, boasting about your TransUnion 810 might not send the message you think it does.
“It’s not something I would ever let one of my clients do,” says Eric Resnick, an online dating and profile writing expert.
Quick reminder: A credit score is a three-digit number from 300 to 850 used by lenders to evaluate a prospective borrower’s credit worthiness, or likelihood of paying them back. Credit scores are usually based on factors like payment history, debt levels, length of credit history and mix of accounts.
In that sense, it’s conceivable someone would want to share their credit score on their dating profile in order to convey their financial savviness (and vet that of others), says Sarah Darr, head of financial planning at U.S. Bank.
“It’s important to understand and end up in a relationship with someone who shares the same values, lifestyles and habits [as you],” she adds. A credit score on your profile can demonstrate your financial priorities: “You’re trying to say ‘it’s important to me and I’ve worked hard at this,’ because earning a strong credit score is not something that happens overnight.”
Research backs this up. A 2015 study from the Federal Reserve found that people in committed relationships tend to have credit scores that are “highly correlated” with their partners’, and couples with bigger score gaps at the beginning of their relationship are more likely to break up than those with smaller gaps. The higher their credit scores, the more likely folks were to get, and stay, together.
But a high credit score doesn’t tell the full story of someone’s financial history.
Not only do credit scores vary depending on which entity is calculating them, but they also leave folks without thick credit files — aka loans — at a disadvantage, all but forcing consumers to take on debt if they want to appear “worthy.” (In fact, often credit scores go down when someone pays off a big loan.)
Credit scores are so touchy that the financial industry as a whole is moving away from them as a measure of borrower quality. So “to use that as a defining characteristic as to whether you should or should not get to know someone [on a dating app] seems a little bit shortsighted,” says Resnick, founder of ProfileHelper.com.
Julie Guntrip, Jenius Bank’s head of financial wellness, has similar hesitations.
She points out that credit scores are backward-looking. For instance, late payments can stay on your credit report for up to seven years; bankruptcies can linger for up to a decade. That’s a long time, especially if you’re young.
“It’s a reflection of your financial behavior in the past, not necessarily in the present,” Guntrip says. “You may be on a totally different path today,” so is your credit score really an effective way to evaluate your current compatibility with someone?
While you may see your high score as a flex, Resnick warns that choosing to define yourself by your credit score in your first interaction with a potential partner has pitfalls. For one thing, there’s no way for them to know whether you’re telling the truth.
Adding a credit score to your profile can come off as defensive and condescending — it may feel like you’re trying to set a bar for the other person, similar to writing “don’t bother if you’re under 5’10.” Guntrip compares it to putting your college GPA on your adult resume.
Resnick says dating profiles are meant to give prospective partners a sense of who you are and start a conversation… not to prove your value.
Including a screenshot of your credit score on your profile might even narrow the field, which is a risk in itself.
“If financial health is the first and only thing you’re looking at in terms of choosing a partner, then sure,” add it, he says. “But it’s going to turn off people who aren’t built that same way.”
While financial compatibility is crucial in a relationship, putting a credit score on your dating profile has more cons than pros. For most people, there are better ways, and better times, to bring up money while dating.
“I’ve met very few people who look at a man or woman and say, ‘Oh my God, I heard [s]he’s an 800,’” Resnick adds.
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It’s no secret that dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble are filled with inaccurate photos, lazy pickup lines, and outdated references to The Office. But now, there’s a new trend emerging on these platforms: people sharing their credit scores. Yes, you read that right. It’s becoming increasingly common for individuals to post screenshots of their FICO scores alongside their photos with babies and dogs. However, while the latter two may convey positive qualities, boasting about your TransUnion 810 may not send the message you think it does.
According to Eric Resnick, an online dating and profile writing expert, sharing your credit score on a dating profile is not a wise move. A credit score is a three-digit number used by lenders to evaluate a person’s creditworthiness, and it’s based on factors like payment history, debt levels, and length of credit history. While it may seem like a good way to showcase your financial savviness, it’s not a reliable indicator of someone’s financial history.
Sarah Darr, head of financial planning at U.S. Bank, believes that sharing your credit score on a dating profile can demonstrate your financial priorities and help you find someone who shares the same values and habits. However, a high credit score doesn’t tell the full story. Credit scores can vary depending on the entity calculating them, and they can disadvantage those without thick credit files. Additionally, the financial industry is moving away from using credit scores as a measure of borrower quality.
Julie Guntrip, head of financial wellness at Jenius Bank, also has reservations about using credit scores as a defining characteristic on dating apps. She points out that credit scores are backward-looking and can be affected by past mistakes, such as late payments or bankruptcies. Instead of relying on credit scores, it’s important to get to know someone on a personal level and understand their financial habits and values.
In conclusion, while sharing your credit score on a dating profile may seem like a good idea, it’s not a reliable indicator of someone’s financial history. It’s important to get to know someone on a personal level and understand their financial habits and values before making any judgments.
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