Survey reveals which generation is most likely to dump someone over their debt
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True love conquers all… except bad finances.
Almost half of Americans admitted that a partner’s debt could be a deal-breaker — with millennials and Gen Z being the most cutthroat about finding love and financial stability, according to a new survey.
The vast majority (72%) of respondents in the 2026 Love & Money Survey by TD Bank said financial stability is important when pursuing a serious relationship, but 46% said someone’s debt would be make-or-break.
Driving that figure is the younger generations.
Of the 2,000 people surveyed, millennials and Gen Z were far more likely to ask for their beau’s bank statement — with 51% and 49%, respectively, admitting that bad finances would cause them to end a relationship.
By comparison, 39% of boomers and Gen X said money — or lack thereof — could stand in the way of love.
Those results echo a similar survey this year by Northwestern Mutual, in which a whopping 60% of respondents said poor financial decisions are “a dealbreaker” in new relationships.
As to what those decisions may be: High credit card debt, frequent impulse spending, and expecting one’s partner to pay for everything were major red flags, the Northwestern Mutual survey found.
Both surveys found that young people are putting off traditional life milestones due to finances.
Twenty percent of Gen Z respondents to Northwestern Mutual said they’ve delayed getting married because of financial reasons, compared to just 8% of respondents overall.
TD Bank found that younger people are also delaying paying off debt, travel, buying a car, buying a home, and saving for retirement at higher rates than their parents and grandparents.
That said, things seem to be turning around for the youngsters.
Forty-nine percent of millennials reported being financially better off than in 2021, according to a survey of 3,000 US adults released by Chime Financial Services this week.
Millennials in particular are building wealth at a faster pace — their net worth has grown 134% since 2021, versus 32% for boomers and 40% for Gen X, according to a survey from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.