The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.
Is it easier for you to meet your financial goals than to find true love? If the answer is yes, then you're not alone, according to TD Banks annual Love & Money Survey, with 58% of people reporting that finding love was harder and more complicated than achieving financial success.
It's easy to assume that living in a big city makes meeting someone and falling in love easier, but not so fast. In the study 79% of New Yorkers, 64% of Bostonians and 56% of Philadelphians reported that it was actually much harder.
Why does it seem like making money is easier? Well, It's complicated. "Generally, people can envision what steps they should take to achieve financial success and what milestones to target. But true love can be a bit more elusive," said Jason Thacker, Head of U.S. Consumer Deposits and Payments at TD Bank.
"Financial success also feels more within one's personal control than finding true love which can be heavily dependent on a variety of unique factors," he said.
Couples feeling good about finances
While the forecast on love for some may be rather lackluster, when it comes to finances there is a sense of enthusiasm among couples. In the study, 72% said that they have the skills they need to meet their money goals and succeed.
Yet there are challenges getting in their way, including living from paycheck-to-paycheck (37%), feeling the stress of repaying their debt (26%) and being afraid that they may not be able to make their payments (16%).
Let's talk about money
Boomers said if they could travel back in time to talk with their younger selves, 61% would tell them to start saving and investing ASAP, while 26% would tell them to take their time when thinking about getting married.
Yet Millennial couples may have gotten the message earlier, because they report waiting to tackle major life events, with 45% waiting to buy a home, 24% holding off on having a baby and 20% deciding to put starting their own business on the back burner for now.
According to the study for millennial couples talking about money can equal getting a bump in happiness and they are more comfortable having “the talk” than the other generations. With 86% reporting that they were comfortable talking about money with their significant other, while 74% of Gen-Xers and 79% percent of Baby Boomers have a similar comfort level when discussing finances.
Maru/Matchbox, a research company, conducted the Love & Money Survey for TD Bank from June 20 to 27, 2017.
