Respondents Confident Love Will Last Recession or Not
DALLAS, April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- With heightening worries of a widespread
recession, a nationwide love and money survey by TRUE.com, the leading
scientifically based online relationship service, shows that singles choose
love over money even in tough economic times. The results from 2,286
respondents tell an eye-opening story: -- 95 percent of men and 87 percent
of women agree that it does not
matter if you make more money than the person you are dating;
-- 49 percent of men and 36 percent of women stated they would not curb
their dating spending in a tight economy;
-- 87 percent of men and 80 percent of women responded they would stay in
a relationship where their partner had substantial credit card debt or
had filed for bankruptcy;
-- 67 percent of women and 66 percent of men claim they have never kept
financial secrets from someone they are dating;
-- 64 percent of men and 63 percent of women don't tend to argue with
their partner about money.
"In a tightening economy marked by mortgage crisis and higher gas prices,
we are encouraged by the progress couples have made in communicating about
money as indicated by our survey," said TRUE.com founder and CEO Herb Vest,
who has also founded and run a multimillion dollar financial service company.
"Despite the gains made, many daters still don't know how to talk about money.
The topic of money can be very emotional and no matter what stage of your
relationship, money serves as a crucial issue to discuss. Consistent, open and
truthful communication remains the key to any successful relationship."
TRUE.com's love and money survey also found the following:
-- Dating or Bust, We Aren't Scared of a Recession. In good times and in
bad, daters will continue their search for love. After the No. 1
response of not halting their dating spending (see above), 20 percent
of women and 23 percent of men said they plan to spend less on eating
out and focus more on romantic dinner dates at home. Only 2 percent
of men and 1 percent of women stated that higher gas prices will
affect when, where, and how they date.
-- Don't Worry, Be Happy, We Have Money. Of those surveyed, 73 percent
of men and 68 percent of women feel secure in their current financial
situation. The majority of respondents, both female and male,
described themselves as the following when it comes to their finances:
comfortable (women 46 percent, men 52 percent), confident (women 15
percent, men 19 percent), proud (women and men both 7 percent). Only
23 percent of men and 32 percent of women characterized their present
financial environment as negative, choosing from terms such as
embarrassment, fright or horror to describe their finances.
-- Let's Talk About Sex -- or Money. When respondents were asked what
topics couples should talk more about (including money, sex, marriage,
parenting or nothing), results show that men and women definitely have
different priorities when it comes to discussing sex or money. Men
rated: sex No. 1 at 29 percent, followed by nothing at 22 percent,
with money in third place at 21 percent. Women put money talk in the
top spot at 33 percent followed by: nothing at 29 percent, marriage
at 16 percent and sex ranking fourth at 15 percent.
-- Donna Summer Knows How People Feel About Money. Because individuals
love music almost as much as they love money, respondents were asked
to choose which song best represents how they feel about money. An
overwhelming majority (81 percent of women and 50 percent of men)
chose the Donna Summer's 1970s disco classic "She Works Hard for the
Money." It also appears that more men (5 percent) than women
(2 percent) associate with Kanye West's song "Gold Digger," and are
looking for women to take care of their financial needs. Other
responses include:
-- "Money (That's What I Want)" sung by The Beatles (men 22 percent,
women 3 percent)
-- "Bill, Bills, Bills" sung by Destiny's Child (men 10 percent,
women 8 percent)
-- "Material Girl" sung by Madonna (men 5 percent, women 4 percent)
-- "It's All About the Benjamins" sung by P. Diddy (men 9 percent,
women 2 percent)
-- Women Will Stand By Their Man, But You Better Treat Them Right. Less
than 1 percent of women felt they should pay for the first date, while
78 percent of men believe it was their duty to pick up the tab. Good
news for men hoping to keep more money in their wallet: 25 percent of
women polled found splitting the bill was appropriate, and 22 percent
of women thought that whoever did the asking out should take care of
the check.
-- No Substitute for Good Old-Fashioned Hard Work. One-third of men and
women responded they have worked a second job to get out of debt.
After a second job, singles responded they accepted money from family
and friends (women 22 percent, men 16 percent) or cashed in their
investments (women 16 percent, men 19 percent) to get back in the
black.
TRUE.com Tips on Money and Relationships
-- Notice if someone you're dating shies away from conversations about
finances. If they do, be wary, unless you want the title of sugar
daddy or sugar mama.
-- Talk about important topics such as spending versus saving, and if you
make purchases using cash or credit.
-- Understand a person's financial past and what they bring into the
relationship (both from a positive savings perspective and a negative
debt perspective). It is important to know if a potential partner
adds a history of debt, bankruptcy, or financial obligations from
prior relationships into your relationship and whether you are
comfortable with taking on that financial history.
-- Remember that how hard a person works is more important than his or
her title or occupation. Always seek out a mate who works hard
first -- don't be tricked by a title or occupation. Good
relationships and sound finances take hard work, just like
relationships. You want to date someone who will always work hard,
take time to care and focus on achievement, not someone who's self
centered.
-- Seek out advice from family, friends, other couples or a financial
planner. The best way to stand on your own as a couple is to solicit
advice from others you respect and those who have a knack for making
and managing money.
-- View additional tips and advice at:
http://www.true.com/magazine/images/storyPhotos/psych_soulmates_forever.pdf
About the TRUE.com Love and Money Survey
The nationwide survey, conducted from March 27 - April 2, 2008, consisted
of responses from 2,286 TRUE.com members. There were 1185 single males and
1101 single females who participated in the online poll. The survey was
created to gain insight into how people and relationships are affected by
finances especially during times of economic uncertainty. Complete survey
details are available upon request.
About TRUE
TRUE is the leading scientifically based, online relationship service,
whose mission is to help singles find long-lasting and fulfilling
relationships. Founded on an advanced, scientifically based compatibility test
uniquely endorsed by Psychology Today and independently certified to meet the
Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, TRUE is the only online
relationship service that actively seeks to further protect the safety of its
communicating members by conducting criminal background screenings and
single-verification screenings. With the help of proprietary research and in
conjunction with national and international advisors in the field of
relationship and psychology, TRUE's team of experts guides members
step-by-step through all stages of the relationship-building process. To find
out more about how TRUE helps people around the world Live.Love.Learn.(R)
please visit http://www.true.com.
Press Contacts:
Rupa Patel
Vollmer Public Relations
972/488-4790
rupa@vollmerpr.com
SOURCE TRUE.com
Rupa Patel of Vollmer Public Relations, +1-972-488-4790, rupa@vollmerpr.com,
for TRUE.com
