It used to be that a man only needed to have good looks, a nice car, and an appealing personality in order to catch the eye of a woman. While women may still be attracted by those features, there is another requirement that has been added -- a good credit score. In fact, having a good credit score is often more important than appearance or personality. If buying that nice car put your credit in poor standing, you may be driving in it alone.

Credit Score Dating

A new trend on the dating scene has caused quite a stir. Having a good credit score has become a significant element of a man's desirability. There are even dating websites where posting your credit score is a requirement. Credit score dating sites have popped up all around the internet, and are actually quite popular. It seems that what women want these days is a man who knows how to take care of his personal finances.

When a man has a good credit score, it shows that he is responsible and pays attention to the details of his life. Without a good credit score, a man is more of a liability. When it comes time to buy a house, a good credit score means that the couple will be able to buy the house that they want. If he has a low score, then he will prevent them from qualifying for that loan -- and that is a deal-breaker for most women.

Checking Your Credit Score

If you don't know what your credit score is, you should perform a check on your credit score and report to see where you stand. You can order a copy of your credit report from any of the three national credit reporting bureaus. You should check your credit at all three bureaus as they often contain differing details and information. Of course, if you truly are concerned with the health of your credit score, you should probably make it a point to check it regularly as well. There are credit monitoring services that you can take advantage of which will check your credit as often as you'd like -- even as often as every day if you think it is necessary. Depending on your personal situation, you may benefit by making a credit check part of your regular personal financial planning.

Improving Your Score

When you get your credit reports checked, you will see several categories of information. Knowing what those categories mean and how they affect your overall credit score will help you make improvements. There are five basic categories that have a significant impact on your credit score.

• Payment history- How well you have paid your bills and credit cards in the past is recorded in your credit report. Paying your bills on time is so important that it makes up 35 percent of your overall credit score.

• Credit utilization- Lenders like to see that you aren't abusing your ability to borrow money. They will compare the amount of credit you have with how much your credit limit is. If you are using almost as much credit as you can, this will reflect poorly on your score. Keep your utilization ration at below 30 percent.

• Length of history- The longer you've had a credit account, the better it is. According to lenders, having a lengthy history with a credit account allows them to see how well you've done over the long term.

• Credit mix- There are four basic types of credit, and lenders like to see an even mixture. Things like auto loans, mortgages, revolving credit, and retail credit accounts are important to having a good credit score.

• Inquiries- Every time you apply for a loan, the potential lender performs a credit check. Having several credit inquiries in a short period of time can have a negative effect on your credit score.

Your credit report is important for several reasons, but if you want a date it could be the most important thing on her mind. Having a healthy credit score may also mean that you'll have a healthy dating life as well.