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Seen At 11: Can Good Credit Score You A Date?

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- Forget looks, shared interest, or a sense of humor it may be your credit score that lands you a date.

"I'm looking for someone who is honest, outgoing, intelligent, romantic," Murray Hill resident Rachel Kapur told CBS 2's Alice Gainer, "I think it's very important that my partner have a good credit score."

Kapur is part of a growing trend of young singles thinking practically about their romantic futures. Credit scores are now a big factor in dating decisions.

"The credit score affects nearly every aspect of our lives. The job I'm going to get, the apartment that I'm going to live in. Now, it's actually affecting our dating lives," financial expert Ann Margaret Carrozza said.

Relationship expert Kavita Patel told CBS 2's Gainer that one of the biggest issues that couples fight over is money.

"We look at our parents relationship and the number one thing that they're fighting about is money," she said.

With nearly half of all marriages ending in divorce experts point to money issues as a huge factor. They said that singles are being more proactive than ever by addressing financial matters before the relationship even takes off.

"A positive credit score is a very good indication that someone has responsibly managed their finances," Carrozza explained.

There is even a dating website that caters to people looking for partners with good credit.

"We're so scared of getting involved with someone that may not be perfect that we're using all of these things to ensure that we're making the right choices," Patel said.

At a recent speed dating event at The Watering Hole in Gramercy Park singles were candid about the importance of good credit.

"I have a good credit score so I definitely think that's very important," Kapur said.

"Is it going to be the first question that I ask on a first date, absolutely not. But, knowing someone's financial background is definitely something I want to know," Huntington resident Eric Blinder said.

Experts caution that things are not always what they appear to be.

"We need to give the person without perfect credit the chance to explain it. They may have had an illness, they may have charged a lot of medical expenses, they may have been laid off," Carrozza said.

And credit can change over time.

"I expect to be very well off in the future. I'm very financially motivated," Rudolph Pongnon said.

A new study suggested that there is a strong correlation between the difference in credit scores between partners and their likelihood of a divorce. The farther apart the scores, the more likely a divorce.

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