Posted on 09/01/2006 6:00:41 AM PDT by Mr. Brightside
Womenn: Money more important than looks in a man
By Jennifer Hill Thu Aug 31, 9:44 PM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - Women regard healthy finances as more important than good looks in a man, according to a survey on Friday.
Almost half (45 percent) said a healthy bank balance is more significant than physical attractiveness in a potential partner, according to National Savings & Investments' (NS&I) latest quarterly savings survey.
Just 22 percent of men, however, rate finances above looks in women.
A salary of almost 50,000 pounds a year is demonstrative of male financial success, according to women.
Men need to earn at least 49,247 pounds a year before women consider them successful and wealthy, the study found. And more than one in 10 women would only consider a partner to be successful if they are earning 100,000 pounds or more.
Men were found to have lower expectations, saying they would deem women earning 42,147 pounds to be successful and wealthy.
On the savings front, women expect their men to have an average of 24,281 pounds in savings -- compared to 20,335 pounds in reality -- while men are happy with savings of 15,143 pounds among women, much in line with an actual average of 14,167 pounds.
Dax Harkins, senior savings strategist at NS&I, said: "Finances form a very important part of relationship dynamics and this is reflected in the expectations people have, both in terms of salary and savings levels. Maybe people do believe they can buy happiness after all."
Despite marked differences in expectations, 64 percent of those questioned agree that financial security is important to the success of a relationship.
Kate Maycock, from Relate, said: "Feeling financially insecure will put some strains on a relationship.
"These latest figures bear out that two people are unlikely to exactly agree on what is a healthy nest-egg and what is a financial crisis.
"Accept that you will not change your partner's attitude to money, but that the two of you can come to an agreement on how you will manage your differences and plan your saving."
The research also found that regular savings are on the increase. Average monthly savings were 87.85 pounds in the three months to end-July, up 8 percent on the year.
This savings rate -- equal to 6.8 percent of average income -- is second only to a high of 89.11 pounds recorded in autumn last year.
Around 54 percent of the population put money away each month. They are saving 174.50 pounds a month -- a 10.3 percent increase on this time last year.
I'm not sure what you mean by a "rude awakening" - I made noticeably more money than my husband when we married, and for many years we were evenly matched, with a raise or a job change making one of us pull ahead of the other. He is now about $15,000 ahead of me.
But we are both working for our shared goals, so what difference does it make, who earns more?
Fortunately for us, personality is still more important to women than either of the above. Stable employment and non-simian bearing are sufficient, as along as the personality is there. ;)
By far.
50,000 a year is a lot more than many men will ever make and I know from experience for most women that figure is just about right.
I know personally of at least five cases where a woman left a good man to "trade up" to a guy that she liked less but made more money and one of those five cases happened to me.
For men it is just a fact of life.
This does not seem to explain why the hot, wealthy housewives all want me.
In other news: Pope catholic, bear sh*ts in woods, Superman flies...
It don't mean a thing, if you ain't got that bling.
How does that apply to you? LOL
"Damn! I'm screwed."
More like you're not screwed...
I tell my wife she has overdrawn our checking account. She says its my fault for being under-deposited.
Study findings re online dating similar to the above Yahoo piece are cited in the third chapter of noted economist Steven Levitt's popular book 'Freakonomics'.
Or... as the currently popular rock band 'Good Charlotte' puts it in the refrain of one of their better known songs,..."Boys love girls and Girls love cars and money..."
Would one have to be angry to notice and admit this fairly obvious stuff? If this stuff is true, should we as a society try to change...and if so , how?
LOL
It doesn't, really. I'm a legendary grouch. ;)
LOL!
A recent study also revealed that men are more attracted to women with big boobs than women with big bank accounts.
:)
....must be all you charm, wit and love of erotica!LOL
When my wife met me I had absolutely nothing. Her investment in me has yielded a somewhat successful husband who loves her and the kids. I do not believe money was an issue for her (thank god). I on the other hand, married my wife because she was cute and sweet...she remains cute and sweet. NOW, I PRAY EVERY NIGHT SHE DOES NOT DEVELOPE A MUSTACHE AND BUBBLE BUTT.
Fortunately, neither of us was shallow enough to determine our future together mainly on income and potential of income!!!!
A recent study also revealed that men are more attracted to women with big boobs than women with big bank accounts.
.
.
.
There is logic to that !
I'd be interested to see that data. I've never online dated but practically every man I've ever talked to that has says they hardly ever see a woman on there that wants a man that makes less than 50K a year and some won't respond to anyone making less than 100K. LOL
Apparently most of the services have some type of function where people can tell what they are looking for in a mate.
Hum... I recently ran across an abstract of a study suggesting that relative incomes levels in marriage not only effect spouses' behavior in “obvious” ways (for example, as a spouse contributes a greater proportion of family income they have more say in how it is spent) but that behaviors often perceived as mostly unrelated to income differences are also subject to shifts with the relative earnings advantage, for example that which partner gives and receives the majority of oral sex may shift – and can shift back - with substantial changes in relative income.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.