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A New Trend: Checking The Credit Scores Of Prospective Dates

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- We all know a bad credit score can be a problem in a myriad of ways, but you may be surprised to learn it can affect your love life, too.

As CBS 2's Dave Carlin reported Wednesday, chemistry and laughter are elements of the perfect date, but fiscal responsibility is a top turn-on as well. Many want to know their prospective dates' credit scores first.

"It's a good thing to know it," Ambar Quela said.

Gaining popularity are the Web sites CreditScoreDating.com and DateMyCreditScore.com, with prospective partners sharing their credit scores.

In case you didn't know, a score below 660 is a red flag, while above 800 is spectacular.

1010 WINS' John Montone reports

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Financial history becomes make or break even before the first date.

"You don't want any surprises," one woman said.

"Absolutely, it's a great thing," another woman said, "because people lie, and you need to know the truth. I mean, that's like a main thing."

Etiquette expert Thomas Farley agrees that information is power.

"Certainly, about the people they date, they are going to want to know background information, financial information; they are going to be stalking them on Facebook and Twitter before they date them, so they're going to this as the next logical step," Farley said.

But Farley also said to remember these numbers don't always tell the whole story.

"Credit scores can be really tricky things, and to base your dating prospects solely on that number, which can be skewed by so many different factors -- a lot of times there are errors in credit scores -- I think you'd be eliminating a big portion of the dating pool and maybe ruining some options that could be nice," he said.

For some people, it's a pre-date ritual -- jumping online and getting as much information as they can; checking Twitter, Facebook; getting background information. But some say this is taking it too far.

"I don't think it's really important to know about," said Jenna Stum of Fleetwood.

"Frankly, in the end, if you are looking for one specific factor as to why you're going to find somebody," said Ian Allison, a tourist from Toronto. "I don't think their credit score is going to do it."

"You could have a perfect credit score, come here, and kill it in one day," said Pete Gardner of Fleetwood. "So it's sort of -- to me, it just doesn't matter."

But that won't stop people from putting a new spin on the old line, "what's your number?"

Would you check a potential date's credit score before meeting him or her? Leave your comments below...

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