Know Your Score*

This company sucks. Or at least their advertising does, and because of that I will never buy their product.

I'm not sure what I was watching on television or what demographic the powers that be were hoping to snag, but I have to say that I was completely offended by a recent television advertisement from Free Credit Report dot com. Here's the gist: the scene opens on some fictional indie-band singing a cautionary tale about a young man who married the girl of his dreams. The problem was, the blushing bride had defaulted on a couple of credit cards a few years back and her credit score was in the toilet. (Sigh.) Because of her ignorance, she and the husband were unable to qualify for a home loan and are currently living in her parents' basement. Zoom in on the young man as he bemoans the fact that he hadn't investigated his true love's financial health before the wedding. Because if he had, "he'd be a happy bachelor with a dog and a yard."

Now, I'm all for financial transparency in intimate relationships. And I'll even go as far as to say that a person's spending and saving habits can provide important clues to their values. Still, I was offended by this advertisment because it stereotypically positions the woman as being irresponsible about money and - instead of counseling the couple to learn and grow together - suggests that the guy would be better off without her. I wonder if there is a comparable ad where the roles are reversed. Somehow I doubt it.

I recently read this book for young people that not only offers advice for building a financial life with a romantic partner, but also provides concrete suggestions for what to do if one person has significantly better credit than the other. I recommend it completely.

What about you? Do you have any stories (horror or otherwise) of melding finances after marriage?