Love and Money: Where Do You Stand?

No matter if you're new or a seasoned pro in the world of online dating, there's one little question that gets a lot of people thinking: income.

Should you click? Leave it blank? Do you care? Is it anyone's business?

When you first meet someone in person, it's the personalities that have a chance to do the talking. However, in the world of online dating, it's much like shopping from a catalog: you see what someone looks like, what they're made of, and if you don't like them, there's another something on the next page that might suit your fancy. Financial information is no different, but the choice is yours how much to reveal.

From the Woman's Point of View

Perhaps you want the men looking through your profile to understand that you're successful and have no problems holding your own in the business world. You've worked hard to get where you are and your financial success is a core piece of who you are - there's nothing wrong with that. Go ahead - let them know how much money you make in your online dating profile. If you're more private or not really concerned about finances, skip answering the question. If you look at men's profiles long enough, you'll notice that few of them put preferences on what they'd like their mate to earn. The decision is yours - however, if you're a student or not currently employed to do volunteer work or something of the sort, share that information. It lends more to lifestyle and scheduling than a judgment on your ability to earn a living.

From the Man's Point of View

Your ability to support a family and have disposable income to spend on those you love is important to you. By all means - feel free to share your income. It's not infrequent, however, to find more women's profiles than men's that spell-out a preferred income range for a prospective mate. Not that you should take this as gold digging or someone on the hunt for a sugar daddy (as the woman's profile will be a better display of these less-than-desirable traits). Rather, many women are looking to start a family or already have a family. Many love to travel. Don't discount a woman who states an income preference for her potential mate - but there's nothing wrong with understanding her motivations. Again, if you're more on the private side, leave the question blank. If you meet the right person, finances are sure to come up at the right time in your relationship and you can have the conversation then.

The Universal Cons of Sharing Your Income

Everyone is online these days. What's to say that a coworker or colleague (or even a client) won't stumble across your profile? Are your personal finances and income something you need to share before you've even had coffee? Understand that, just like everything else in your profile, your income is available information as well. There's no shame in looking for love online, but understand completely who may come across that information. It doesn't matter if they're the intended audience. Even unregistered users can see member profiles on some sites - take this to heart as your fill out or edit your online dating profile. Your intentions in going online were to find a date, not to start inter-office drama or have a client see that your business is booming (or not). What goes online stays online and you have no idea who sees your precious financial information until it's too late. It's highly possible that some things are best left for the first date and beyond!