New NOP research for Halifax, the UK's largest savings provider, found that people list a good personality (91%) and a sense of humour (89%) as the most appealing characteristics in a potential partner. But being skilled with your personal finances is of equal importance to having good looks or physical attractiveness (65%). Interestingly, the findings revealed that having a large bank balance (25%) or ostentatious displays of wealth (14%) were considered to be more of a 'turn-off' than a 'turn-on' for potential suitors.
The NOP survey, which was conducted among a representative sample of UK adults, found that being solvent was a desirable quality to possess: 60% cited having no big debts as an important factor when choosing a partner. This was seen as more important than having a stable income or good job (58%), or even owning your own home (34%).
Women and men place different levels of importance of difference qualities. Men were far more interested in a potential partner’s style, dress sense and good looks, while women wanted to know if a man had a strong work ethic, a stable income, and a good job. Older people placed less importance on physical attraction, and attached greater significance to a person’s ability to manage their money.
Other findings of the survey include:
The majority of Britons appear to be a cautious lot when it comes to borrowing money. A total of (57%) said they would rather save for an item than borrow money or pay by credit, and 28% said that they would rather wait until they needed something then figure out how to pay for it. Just 11% of respondents said they would prefer to borrow the money rather than save.
The savings habit starts early:
Of those who had a savings account, a total of 70% were encouraged to save as a child by their parents or grandparents. A thrifty 67% had their own savings account as a youngster, while (32%) never had an account in their own name.
By far the most common way to introduce children to savings is via their parents or grandparents.
A lucky 41% said their parents or grandparents did this for them in their early years. It seems that people see this as an excellent way to teach children about basic finance and the value of money – 51% of those with children said they too would open a savings account for their own children.
Parents use many different incentives to get their offspring on the savings ladder - while 6% of children are given money specifically to save, more than one in ten (11%) have been given a moneybox or piggy bank in which to save. Money was openly discussed at home among only 3% of those questioned.
When the respondents were asked how they themselves were encouraged to save, a lucky 5% of them had their savings boosted on birthdays and at Christmas. Others had to work for the cash bonus, with 11% encouraged to earn extra money by doing chores or jobs at home.
Commenting on the findings, Nick Robinson, Head of Savings at Halifax, said:
"This research gives us a light-hearted look at people's attitudes to money, but there is a serious message in the findings. We often associate financial planning and organising our finances as boring or tedious activities. These findings just go to show, it's not the size of your wallet that matters in attracting the opposite sex, it's your skill at managing its contents! "
