Checking a partner’s credit score used to be something people joked about before a third date. Now it’s closer to standard practice. According to TD Bank’s 2026 Love & Money Survey, which polled 2,000 adults, 46% of Americans say someone’s debt or financial habits would influence whether they pursue a serious relationship with them—and Millennials (51%) and Gen Z (49%) are more likely to say so than Gen X or Baby Boomers (39% each).
That reversal runs counter to the usual assumption that younger generations are more relaxed, more collaborative, and less judgmental about money than their parents were. Ashley Weeks, a wealth strategist at TD Bank who works directly with clients on the survey’s findings, said the shift reflects economic conditions rather than a change in values.
