A Partner's Finances Can End a Relationship: 55% of Daters Surveyed Say Debt Can be a Dealbreaker, According to New Earnest Report

This silence carries a heavy emotional toll: Despite these anxieties, the data suggests that debt is rarely a dealbreaker when met with a clear strategy: "In dating today, unmanaged debt is perceived as an unmanaged life. People aren't walking away because someone has debt; they're walking away because they don't see ownership," said Emily Childers, Chief Marketing Officer at Earnest. "A clear plan is the difference between a red flag and a green one." The full findings from Earnest's 2026 Debt and Dating R ...