Gen-Z, Millennials Say Financial Health Is More Important Than Looks

Money can’t buy happiness, but strong finances may be able to get you a few more dates. That’s according to a February survey, among more than 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of consumer fintech banking platform Current, which found that good savings habits, low debt, good credit scores, and monthly budgeting are more important to many Americans than looks when searching for a romantic partner.

Approximately one-third of Americans say that low or no debt (33%) and a strong credit score (30%) are more powerful attractors than physical appearances when considering a potential romantic partner. Roughly a quarter say the same goes for emergency savings (26%), regular savings contributions (26%), maintaining a monthly budget (25%), and having a retirement savings plan (24%).

Financial health is “one of the critical things that people should be asking about these days,” says Dr. Deb Castaldo, a relationship expert, couples therapist, and author of “The Return to Love Playbook.” A long-term relationship, she adds, is not only about a spark and shared interests — it’s a financial agreement.

Millennials and Gen Z-ers are more likely to value healthy finances over looks

The study found that there’s a generational divide in the importance placed on financial health compared to appearances. Thirty-three percent of both Gen Z (ages 18-28) and millennials (ages 29-44) say that a potential partner having emergency savings is more important than how they look, compared to 23% of Gen X (ages 45-60) and 18% of baby boomers (ages 61-79). Millennials are also more likely to say that a partner’s regular savings contributions (35% vs. 26% Gen Z, 25% Gen X & 18% baby boomers) and monthly budgeting (33% vs. 25% Gen Z, 25% Gen X & 18% baby boomers) are more important to them than appearances when considering a romantic partner than any other generation.

However, when it comes to low or no debt, older generations are more likely to prioritize finances over appearance: 37% of Gen X and baby boomers say this factor is more important than looks, compared to 32% of Gen Z and 28% of millennials.

As more Americans delay or forgo marriage and more women are working than we’ve seen with previous generations, young people are understanding that financial health is extremely important if you are going to commit to someone, Castaldo says.

“It’s a good change in how we see relationships,” she adds. “If people are dating towards wanting a long-term relationship, they absolutely are getting that you have to go past looks and attraction — that is just the very first baby step.”

Financial weakness is a turnoff

Not only are people attracted by good finances, but they’re also turned off by the opposite: 14% of Americans say bad credit is a bigger turnoff than bad hygiene with 19% of Gen Z and 22% of millennials sharing this sentiment compared to 11% of Gen X and 6% of baby boomers, the study found.

The two younger generations are also more likely than their older counterparts to say that they’ve ended a relationship due to finding out a partner had a lot of debt (19% and 17% for Gen Z and millennials, respectively, versus 8% and 5% for Gen X and baby boomers).

If you’re going to combine your finances, it’s obvious that a partner’s poor financial health could be damaging for you as well. Castaldo says that even if your finances are separated, dating someone with bad financial habits, such as obsessively overspending, can be a huge stressor on a relationship.

“It can really cause a lot of emotional distress if one partner feels that the other partner is being irresponsible or is not functioning financially,” she says.

What factors determine good financial health?

Nearly two in five Americans (39%) think improving their credit scores could bolster a couple’s bond, and it’s no wonder why. Credit scores, which essentially indicate to potential lenders how likely a borrower is to repay a loan, play a key role in our financial lives.

“Having a good credit score is a really good foundation to starting off on your path of financial stability because it allows you access to some of those early things you’re going to want to do, like being able to rent an apartment, and gaining access to loans or credit cards,” says Nicholas Pileggi, a senior wealth advisor at Marshall Financial. Similarly, having low debt can be a positive domino effect for the rest of your finances: “It will improve your cash flow, which will in turn improve your savings… that just kind of gives you a leg up, when you’re starting out especially.”

However, he notes that there are other factors to consider when evaluating the financial health of a potential romantic partner, such as whether they have an emergency fund. This type of savings typically consists of enough money to cover three to six months’ worth of expenses should the unexpected, such as job loss, occur.

Other good indicators of financial health are whether someone monitors their spending to ensure they spend less than they earn, saves regularly, contributes to their retirement savings accounts, and invests outside of their retirement plan as well, Pileggi says.

These may not be questions you can ask over a drink on the first date — in fact, the survey found that only about 1 in 10 Americans say they’ve inquired about certain financial information, like income (10%), monthly budget habits (9%), regular savings contributions (9%) amount (9%) or type (8%) of debt, their credit score (8%), or retirement savings plan (8%), within the first few dates. But Castaldo says to try not to wait too long to get a sense of how someone approaches finances: “As time goes on, you really need to look for these deeper qualities and someone’s values, and how they handle all the important areas of life.”

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Current from February 13-18, 2025, among 2,081 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.

This story was produced by Current and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

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