Singles Choose Love Over Money According to TRUE.com Survey(2)

-- 95 percent of men and 87 percent of women agree that it does not matter if you make more money than the person you are dating; -- 49 percent of men and 36 percent of women stated they would not curb their dating spending in a tight economy; -- 87 percent of men and 80 percent of women responded they would stay in a relationship where their partner had substantial credit card debt or had filed for bankruptcy; -- 67 percent of women and 66 percent of men claim they have never kept financial secrets from someone they are dating; -- 64 percent of men and 63 percent of women don''t tend to argue with their partner about money.

"In a tightening economy marked by mortgage crisis and higher gas prices, we are encouraged by the progress couples have made in communicating about money as indicated by our survey," said TRUE.com founder and CEO Herb Vest, who has also founded and run a multimillion dollar financial service company. "Despite the gains made, many daters still don''t know how to talk about money. The topic of money can be very emotional and no matter what stage of your relationship, money serves as a crucial issue to discuss. Consistent, open and truthful communication remains the key to any successful relationship."

TRUE.com''s love and money survey also found the following: -- Dating or Bust, We Aren''t Scared of a Recession. In good times and in bad, daters will continue their search for love. After the No. 1 response of not halting their dating spending (see above), 20 percent of women and 23 percent of men said they plan to spend less on eating out and focus more on romantic dinner dates at home. Only 2 percent of men and 1 percent of women stated that higher gas prices will affect when, where, and how they date. -- Don''t Worry, Be Happy, We Have Money. Of those surveyed, 73 percent of men and 68 percent of women feel secure in their current financial situation. The majority of respondents, both female and male, described themselves as the following when it comes to their finances: comfortable (women 46 percent, men 52 percent), confident (women 15 percent, men 19 percent), proud (women and men both 7 percent). Only 23 percent of men and 32 percent of women characterized their present financial environment as negative, choosing from terms such as embarrassment, fright or horror to describe their finances. -- Let''s Talk About Sex -- or Money. When respondents were asked what topics couples should talk more about (including money, sex, marriage, parenting or nothing), results show that men and women definitely have different priorities when it comes to discussing sex or money. Men rated: sex No. 1 at 29 percent, followed by nothing at 22 percent, with money in third place at 21 percent. Women put money talk in the top spot at 33 percent followed by: nothing at 29 percent, marriage at 16 percent and sex ranking fourth at 15 percent. -- Donna Summer Knows How People Feel About Money. Because individuals love music almost as much as they love money, respondents were asked to choose which song best represents how they feel about money. An overwhelming majority (81 percent of women and 50 percent of men) chose the Donna Summer''s 1970s disco classic "She Works Hard for the Money." It also appears that more men (5 percent) than women (2 percent) associate with Kanye West''s song "Gold Digger," and are looking for women to take care of their financial needs. Other responses include: -- "Money (That''s What I Want)" sung by The Beatles (men 22 percent, women 3 percent) -- "Bill, Bills, Bills" sung by Destiny''s Child (men 10 percent, women 8 percent) -- "Material Girl" sung by Madonna (men 5 percent, women 4 percent) -- "It''s All About the Benjamins" sung by P. Diddy (men 9 percent, women 2 percent) -- Women Will Stand By Their Man, But You Better Treat Them Right. Less than 1 percent of women felt they should pay for the first date, while 78 percent of men believe it was their duty to pick up the tab. Good news for men hoping to keep more money in their wallet: 25 percent of women polled found splitting the bill was appropriate, and 22 percent of women thought that whoever did the asking out should take care of the check. -- No Substitute for Good Old-Fashioned Hard Work. One-third of men and women responded they have worked a second job to get out of debt. After a second job, singles responded they accepted money from family and friends (women 22 percent, men 16 percent) or cashed in their investments (women 16 percent, men 19 percent) to get back in the black. TRUE.com Tips on Money and Relationships -- Notice if someone you''re dating shies away from conversations about finances. If they do, be wary, unless you want the title of sugar daddy or sugar mama. -- Talk about important topics such as spending versus saving, and if you make purchases using cash or credit. -- Understand a person''s financial past and what they bring into the relationship (both from a positive savings perspective and a negative debt perspective). It is important to know if a potential partner adds a history of debt, bankruptcy, or financial obligations from prior relationships into your relationship and whether you are comfortable with taking on that financial history. -- Remember that how hard a person works is more important than his or her title or occupation. Always seek out a mate who works hard first -- don''t be tricked by a title or occupation. Good relationships and sound finances take hard work, just like relationships. You want to date someone who will always work hard, take time to care and focus on achievement, not someone who''s self centered. -- Seek out advice from family, friends, other couples or a financial planner. The best way to stand on your own as a couple is to solicit advice from others you respect and those who have a knack for making and managing money. -- View additional tips and advice at:

About the TRUE.com Love and Money Survey