A Shocking Number of People Lie About This When They are Dating Someone

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Updated: 8/20/2019
Talking about salaries is an uncomfortable situation no matter how it’s masked. Whether it’s between colleagues or friends, it creates a tense atmosphere that more often or not comes with a little fabrication. When it comes to dating, that’s especially true for a third of Americans.
Three in ten Americans admitted to lying about their salary while dating, according to a new poll by One Poll, with a quarter even expressing how they’ve hidden the truth about their spending habits.
The study, which examined 2,000 people’s dating deterrents, said that a tenth of respondents feared their credit card debt of more than $10,000 was like waving a red flag right in front of their date’s face, with 35% of Americans thinking credit card debt is worse than student loan debt.
Other things people lied about early in relationships were spending habits (28%), debt (24%), and their job (23%).
“When it comes to long-term relationships, including marriages, studies have shown that money arguments are the biggest predictor for divorce, no matter the income bracket or financial situation of the couple in question, Self Lender CEO James Garvey said in a press release. “Not discussing your financial situation might be fine for a short-term fling, but the data shows that if you want a long-term, committed relationship, you have to open up about your money and get on the same page financially.”
If dating leads to marriage, one in two people said it should be a moral and legal obligation to disclose finances, specifically debt, before proposing.
However, the biggest dating red flag as drinking too much (64%), bad manners (56%), and dirty living space (53%).

Dating red flags:

1. Drinking too much: 64%
2. Bad manners: 56%
3. Dirty living space: 53%
4. Credit card debt: 50%
5. Always on the phone even when we’re on a date: 46%
6. Argumentative: 46%
7. Cheap: 46%
8. Poor clothing choices: 46%
9. Never introducing me to family and friends: 45%
10. Our values don’t align: 44%
11. Too needy: 41%
12. Cannot hold a steady job: 40%
13. Late to plans: 40%
14. We don’t have a lot in common: 40%
15. Doesn’t respond in time: 39%
16. Bad credit score: 37%
17. Push my physical boundaries: 35%
18. Describes exes as “crazy”: 34%
19. Flaky: 32%
20. Don’t know a lot about them: 32%

Dating lies early in a relationship:

1. My salary: 31%
2. Spending habits: 28%
3. My debt: 24%
4. My job: 23%
5. My family: 21%
6. Relationship intentions: 19%
7. Seeing other people: 17%
8. Current living arrangements: 17%
9. Where I live: 16%
10. Health problems/hobbies and interest: 15%
11. Fitness habits: 15%
12. Frequency of dates: 14%
13. Previous marriage/long term partners: 14%

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