Love and dating can be complicated.. but we're here to help. Resident relationship expert Laura Yates will be regularly sharing her advice on everything love related, and today she's back with some stats about money and dating. Want to anonymously ask her your burning love question as part of our "Ask Laura" series? E-mail newsette@thenewsette.com with the subject "love question." 

Money can be a touchy subject, especially when it comes to dating and relationships. Should money be discussed at all, how should it be split and how open should we be when it comes to our income, debt and savings?

Some say it shouldn’t be all about the money, however, it seems that money is on the minds of many women and is also a big part of our deal-breakers when it comes to scoping out a suitable partner.

A new report just released by Fidelity’s Single Women & Money Study has shown that women are becoming more independent than ever when it comes to their finances, which is obviously a great thing! But how is this translating into our dating lives?

When it comes to deal breakers, 52% of single women said that a financially controlling partner was a turn off whereas only 32% of single men thought this was an issue.

One interesting stat from the report showed that 64% of single women said financial stability is the second most important characteristic they’re looking for in a partner, right behind honesty and integrity. Men on the other hand, placed honesty, physical attraction and a shared level of intelligence before financial stability.

When it comes to deal breakers, 52% of single women said that a financially controlling partner was a turn off whereas only 32% of single men thought this was an issue. Some other make or break factors included a partner not having significant debt, poor spending habits and not being willing to talk about money.

Whilst the money convo isn’t the most romantic, it’s understandable that it’s hot on the minds of women. After all, building up financial independence takes time, hard work and persistence. Plus, there are so many situations that happen in life where women can be left financially well….screwed, such as in the cases of divorce or career breaks to bring up children. Men often don’t face the same financial vulnerabilities, so it’s not surprising that money isn’t as prominent on their minds.

Again, it doesn’t sound romantic at all but it could be said that relationships do come with a certain amount of financial risk and so it’s savvy to know what you’re getting into!

Obviously, there are many more ingredients that make up relationship success; respect, honesty, aligned values and actually getting on with someone for starters! So it’s important not to lose sight of those. It’s finding that balance of assessing the relationship practicalities when it comes to money along with someone’s character and values.

Unfortunately, the survey didn’t answer the million-dollar question; who pays on a first date?!