Summary
More than half of recently divorced women said their credit score tanked during marriage, compared to just 42 percent for men.
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Please review our list of best credit cards, or use our CardMatch™ tool to find cards matched to your needs.
Your credit cards journey is officially underway.
Keep an eye on your inbox—we’ll be sending over your first message soon.
More than half of recently divorced women (54 percent) said their credit score declined during marriage, compared to just 42 percent for divorced men. Half of women also reported their former spouse had ruined their credit, while only 37 percent of men said the same.
Women also were more likely to say their ex’s credit score was a source of stress, at 36 percent versus 26 percent for men. In fact, only about a third (35 percent) of all respondents said they and their former spouse agreed on how to use credit as a couple.
Financial losses from the divorce process itself were significant, averaging $19,922 per divorced individual, with half of respondents expressing worry about their finances after the divorce. More than a third (34 percent) went so far as to say their divorce put them in financial ruin.
Fortunately, almost half of respondents (48 percent) say their credit has since improved. But they are now wary, with 4 in 10 saying they’ll never walk down the aisle again, and almost three-quarters (73 percent) saying that, if they do, it will only be with a partner who has good credit.
Credit reporting bureau Experian commissioned this online survey from Edelman Intelligence, targeting 500 adults nationwide who have divorced in the last five years. The survey data was collected in November 2016 and findings released by Experian in February.
See related: 5 ways an ex can ruin your credit during breakup, divorce, More infographics
To use the graphic on your site, use the following code:
<center><a href=”https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/infographic-divorce-women-credit”><img alt=”CreditCards.com Infographic: Divorce hits women’s credit harder” border=”0″ src=”https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/images/infographic-plastic-steadily-kills-off-checks.png” /></a> </center>
Editorial Disclaimer
The editorial content on this page is based solely on the objective assessment of our writers and is not driven by advertising dollars. It has not been provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners.