How to treat your financial profile like your Tinder profile

How to treat your financial profile like your Tinder profileHow to treat your financial profile like your Tinder profileHave you ever worried about what a potential romantic partner might think about your financial standing? Have financial issues ever caused issues between you and your romantic partner? If you answered yes to either of those questions, youre not alone In fact, money is a leading cause of relationship strife, often being cited as a reason fordivorce. Plus, according to findings byFinder.com, 72% of Americans said they would reconsider a romantic relationship because of the other rolles debt.However, according to Experians recent consumer survey, only 31% of people believe that their financial profile will show them in a good light. Furthermore, 51% of people dont think they know enough about their own financial profile. In contrast, more than half of Experians respondents feel as though their social media and online dating profiles show them in a positive light. This is in large part due to how highly curated online profiles are.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWhy does your financial profile matter?I mentioned that a large majority of people would have second thoughts about entering into a relationship with someone who has debt. I dont necessarily agree with that sentiment, but its something to consider if youre looking for a longterm relationship. However, there are other reasons why this should be important to you that go beyond romantic love.leistungspunkt worthinessYour financial history will determine whether or not a lender wants to front money to you. This applies to leistungspunkt card companies, mortgage lenders, personal and student loan providers, car companies, and more. If your credit history looks badeanstalt, these lenders can decide not to give you a loan at all, which can limit what youre able to do with your future.Interes t ratesIf you do get approved for a loan, the interest rates on that loan will vary depending on your credit history and credit score. Depending on the size of the loan, this could cost or save you thousands of dollars. The higher your credit score, the lower your interest rate.Origination feesSometimes, if you take out a loan, youre not just paying for the loan itself and interest. There is often an origination fee added on top of it. Your credit score and credit history can determine the rate of that fee, which can save or cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.EmployabilityI dont agree with this, but some employers pull your credit history when considering you as an employee. If you have a negative history, this might cause you to be denied for a job. I used to work with someone who got turned away when he welches going from being a contractor to a full-time employee because of an old credit card bill he never paid.Getting an apartmentMore and more landlords and property managers are checking credit before they allow you to move into a new place. Having a good credit score and a positive credit history, to lenders and people like landlords, means youre more trustworthy. So if you have negative marks on your credit report, they may turn you away.How Can You Curate It More Like Your Online Profiles?Make it a priorityRecognize that your financial standing matters for your own stability and security. Its not about what you should or shouldnt do, its about protecting yourself in the long term. Its not something that you can continue to ignore, because it will affect you down the line. It will determine what youre able to do and the opportunities that you have. So put it at the top of your priority listPay attention to itYou need to pay attention to your financial profile in order to be able to fix it at all. You cant fix what you dont know is broken Your first step should be to pull all of your financial information into one place. That might mean openin g aMintaccount, or it might mean just making a spreadsheet. Having all of that information in front of you will help you to understand exactly where youre departureing from. It will help you understand what changes, if any, need to be made.Next, you should be checking your credit score monthly. There are so many free options out there now, likeCredit KarmaorCredit Sesame. Chances are, you bank or credit card company also offer your credit score for free. Your credit score indicates whether or not you are trustworthy to lenders. If youre planning on applying for a loan in the near future, youll want to know what yourcredit scoreis so that you can get to work to improve it, if necessary. And no, checking your credit score doesnt hurt itFinally, check yourcredit reportthree times a year All three credit bureaus are legally required to provide you with one free credit report each year. That means that you can get three credit reports each year (one from each bureau). I like to space the m out and pull one every four months from a different bureau. Go toannualcreditreport.comto get your free credit report. This is important because your credit report is your actual financial history. Its what influences your credit score. All of the good and bad financial behavior in the past seven years will be listed on it. However, sometimes there are mistakes. Sometimes a bill that you actually paid will be erroneously sent to collections. Even more dire, sometimes someone will use your name to open fraudulent credit accounts. You wouldnt necessarily know these things if you werent pulling your credit report regularly, which means that they could hurt you without you knowing.Take actionThe most important thing to do is to do something. If you realize that your credit score is lower than youd like it to be, or you have more debt than you thought, its time to start doing something about it. It can feel overwhelming, so you should start with incremental goals. Put a debt repayment into place, contact the credit bureau about a mistake on your credit report, orhire a financial coach. You have more control than you might think, and you can start improving your financial situation today.This article originally appeared on Maggie Germano.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people