While love is important in a relationship, people are increasingly seeking partners who can provide them with some financial padding. A new survey by Merill Edge finds that 56 percent of Americans want a mate who gives them financial security versus 44 percent who want to find someone with whom they are “head over heels” in love.
The feeling is mutual between both men (54 percent) and women (57 percent), reports MarketWatch. Interestingly, Generation Z—those born between 1996 and 2010—is the sole age group to choose love over money.
The survey included 1,000 people between the ages of 18 and 40 with investable assets (cash, savings, IRAs, stocks, etc.) valued between $20,000 and $250,000.
While the majority of participants expressed interest in hooking up with significant others with particular socioeconomic status, many admitted to keeping their own finances under the cuff. When asked about relationship milestones, they ranked discussing their finances below meeting a partner’s family, being intimate, travelling together, and discussing politics.
Participants also admitted to shelving financial discussions with their partners, especially when it pertains to debt (60 percent), salary (57 percent), investments (55 percent) and spending habits (51 percent).
Another study by the Pew Research Center also links love, marriage and socioeconomic status. It recently found that those with four-year college degrees are more likely to get married compared to those with some college education and those with just high school degrees.
Forty-seven percent of those with incomes less than $30,000 say “not being financially secure” is a big reason why they’re not married. Forty percent of those with incomes of $30,000 to $74,999 and 21 percent of those with incomes of $75,000 or more agree with that statement.
Meanwhile, men and women with higher incomes (unsurprisingly) want different things in a relationship. A 2016 study by Chapman University revealed that higher income men prefer women with thinner bodies, while higher income women prefer men with steady incomes.
However, just because you make a good amount of money doesn’t mean your relationship is happier. A 2014 study revealed that those who spent more than $20,000 on their wedding were 46 percent more likely to divorce compared to 29 percent of those whose weddings cost between $10,000 and $20,000.
A quote on Pinterest attributed to Donald Trump declares, “Money makes life easier, but it doesn’t make you happy.” It’s unclear if the American president actually said that, but the sentiment holds true. While financial security is certainly a desirable relationship trait, it’s equally if not more important to be “head over heels” in love with the person you’re dating or plan to marry.
