Is Your Date Financially Catfishing You? Half Of Young Adults Admit To Faking Wealth

Swiping through dating apps and scrolling social media, everyone seems to be living their best financial life. Designer bags, exotic vacations, bottomless brunches. In reality, one in two Gen Zers and millennials are lying about these lavish lifestyles.

A new Credit One Bank survey of 1,000 young adults reveals that 51% admit to faking their wealth or exaggerating their financial success. Gen Z leads the pack at 54%, compared to 48% of millennials. And it gets worse. A staggering 37% say they’d be willing to overdraft their account or plunge into debt just to impress someone on a date.

Credit Scores Are the New Dating Currency

Financial facades aren’t just about keeping up appearances anymore. More than half of respondents say a high credit score actually makes someone more attractive. In 2025, a 750 FICO score might matter as much as a charming smile.

About 24% of young adults won’t even consider a serious relationship unless their partner’s credit score hits 700 or above. Another 24% don’t care about credit scores at all when dating, leaving a middle ground where financial health matters but isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker.

One in five people say they want dating apps to display credit scores and financial habits upfront, treating fiscal responsibility like height or hobbies. Most people (55%) call this idea too invasive or judgmental. Those making less than $50,000 annually are especially opposed, with three out of five rejecting the concept entirely. Among those earning over $150,000, nearly a third want this kind of transparency.

Men Spend Beyond Their Means to Impress Dates

The survey reveals a gender gap in financial risk-taking for romance. While 46% of men admit they’d willingly overdraft their accounts to impress a date, only 28% of women would do the same. Overall, 38% of all respondents confess to going into debt or damaging their credit score to impress someone, with 22% specifically doing it for a romantic partner.

Men also report taking credit hits for love at higher rates than women (41% versus 35%). Traditional courtship expectations, where men often foot the bill for dates, continue to create financial pressure even as gender roles evolve elsewhere.

The spending isn’t always strategic. Social media highlights everyone else’s seemingly perfect financial lives, and young adults feel compelled to match that energy, even when their bank accounts tell a different story.

Bad Credit Isn’t Always a Dealbreaker

Despite the prevalence of financial posturing, 73% of Gen Zers and millennials say they fully understand what a credit score is and how it impacts their lives. Yet when it comes to sharing that information, discretion rules. More than half (54%) would rather not disclose their credit score or financial situation to a romantic partner until things get serious.

Poor credit history isn’t automatically disqualifying. Only 8% consider it a marriage dealbreaker. Nearly half (48%) say they would marry, or already have married, someone with a shaky financial past. Another 37% would consider it if their partner was actively working to improve their situation.

Men show more financial forgiveness than women. About 47% of men say they’d overlook a partner’s troubled financial past, compared to just 27% of women. Women are twice as likely as men to call bad credit a dealbreaker (10% versus 5%).

Patterns matter more than isolated mistakes. Around 21% would end a relationship over repeated money mistakes, while 23% say poor financial behavior wouldn’t affect their relationship at all.

Friends Don’t Let Friends Talk About Money

Despite the high stakes, money remains a taboo topic in many friendships. Nearly a third (32%) never discuss finances with close friends, and only 11% talk about it frequently. About 70% of women almost never talk about money with their friend groups, compared to just under 60% of men.

Romantic relationships tell a different story. About 67% discuss finances with their partner at least monthly, 44% weekly, and 10% check in daily. When commitment deepens, so does financial transparency.

For most young adults (56%), a friend’s financial situation doesn’t influence the friendship. But when friends give bad financial advice, consequences follow. One in three (32%) would forgive but proceed with caution. Another 23% would blame themselves for taking the advice, 20% would confront their friend, and 2% admit they’d try to get even.

More than half of young consumers (53%) are determined to maintain financial independence, even as economic uncertainty looms. Among those open to help, 27% hope family and friends can step in, while 20% are actively seeking romantic partners who can provide financial support.

If economic conditions worsen, 40% say it wouldn’t change who they choose to build relationships with. However, one in five would prioritize financially stable romantic partners, and another 20% say stability would become important in both romantic and platonic relationships.

When it comes to financial advice, Gen Zers are more likely to turn to their parents (60%) than millennials are (44%). Some Gen Zers even consult Reddit, social media influencers, or ChatGPT (21%). Millennials prefer offline advice and are far more likely to consult professionals (43% versus 35% of Gen Z).

Financial reputation extends beyond personal relationships. About 43% of consumers would lose some confidence in a boss with bad credit or serious debt. Of those, 26% say they’d lose a little faith, while 18% would seriously question their leadership abilities.

That said, 37% wouldn’t change their view of a boss based on credit, and 20% would actually admire their transparency. Honesty about financial struggles can sometimes build credibility rather than destroy it.

Personal finances carry intense emotional weight. When asked how they’d feel if loved ones learned the details of their finances, only about one-third say they’d feel proud. About 38% of men would feel proud versus 28% of women. Men are also less likely to feel embarrassed (10%) compared to women (15%).

Income level shapes these feelings dramatically. Only 22% of people making less than $50,000 per year would feel proud if others learned about their financial situation. Among those making more than $150,000 annually, 56% claim they’d feel proud.

The pressure to appear financially successful weighs heavily on a generation navigating student debt, rising housing costs, and an unpredictable job market. Social media amplifies these anxieties, creating a feedback loop where people feel compelled to project prosperity even when struggling privately.

In a world where credit scores might do more flirting than pickup lines, financial health has become inseparable from social status. Personality still tops the list of what people want in a partner, but many young adults are also drawn to the security of a solid credit score. Money matters in love, friendship, and career moves, and talking about it openly might be exactly what this generation needs.

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