Russians want to be initiated into the financial secrets of grooms and brides

Allowing requests for the credit history of a future husband or wife – this idea was put forward by a group of deputies. After all, an official marriage is a serious matter, so transparency is of primary importance. RuNet opinions on this matter were divided: some considered the initiative “a better filter than on a dating site”, others saw blackmail, and others laughed… And those who count on sincere love were the ones who argued against it.

The authors of the initiative explain their proposal by the fact that legal spouses often apply for a loan jointly or one of them acts as a guarantor for the other's loans. In such situations, the credit history of one of the partners can directly affect the decision to issue a loan. And the grooms and brides have the right to know before the wedding whether they will be given, say, a mortgage with this person. Or the chosen one is already up to his neck in debt, but covers it up, like a fig leaf, with the banks' obligation to keep secret any financial transactions of their clients, including loans. The initiative has the biggest contradictions with banking secrecy, because for clients of any financial institution it is no less sacred than, say, medical secrecy. Accordingly, representatives of banking services are interested in maintaining it if they want to keep clients. And any leaks are still illegal: both deliberate leaking and hacker hacking are crimes. The initiative group wants to change this.

- We propose considering the possibility of legislatively enshrining the right to request the credit history of a future spouse before marriage, - the deputies say, confident that this measure "will increase the transparency of the financial situation of both parties and help young families make informed decisions when planning a joint budget." And the sanctity of banking secrecy is bypassed with a voluntary maneuver: "With the consent of the partner to disclose such data." And here, for one part of the audience, the deputy's idea completely loses its meaning: they say that an honest person will tell everything himself, and a dishonest one, giving such consent, "will have time to draw up a new credit history for himself." Others saw an element of blackmail in "personal consent": like the legalization of the popular saying "if you want to get married, show me your wallet." And only a small part of RuNet users, mostly free from marital ties, believes that the embodiment of the deputy's fantasies will help them in finding life partners better than a filter on a dating site. You can't build love with someone who refuses to show their credit history.

- Great idea, - rejoices Victoria, 45-year-old HR director of a capital enterprise. - The guy from the dating site fooled me for almost a year. He was a Muscovite, handsome, of the right age, and also a successful businessman, and ready to marry - I myself did not believe in my happiness! And my friend did too, and she works in the banking sector, so she checked him out to make sure that miracles do not happen. And I was convinced: my "prince" turned out to be a credit one. Everything he used to win me over turned out to be a dud: housing for rent, a car on credit, and even expensive restaurants on microloans. He really did have a business once, but he blew it. And by marrying me, he apparently wanted to improve his affairs. Compared to his credit history, I am a real oligarch: my own housing, a stable salary, no debts.

Our interlocutor sees the benefit of the parliamentary initiative in the fact that today her friend, albeit with the best of intentions, acted illegally by disclosing a client's banking secret. And if the idea is adopted, then banks will even be able to open windows for disclosing the financial secrets of grooms and brides next to the windows for issuing loans. But under the condition of "personal consent", in Victoria's opinion, "the whole idea loses its meaning."

Some users, mostly male, see in the deputy's idea "the ghost of financial unfreedom." At least from the fair ladies.

- Why should I report my financial situation to every woman before marriage?! - Vladislav, 38, from the Moscow region, is perplexed. - It's okay to tell my legal wife, but not to every woman I meet before marriage! Men know: promising does not mean marrying. Who knows who and why I promise to give myself to as a husband, but I can always change my mind and take myself back, it's my right. The right to poke my nose into other people's affairs will only breed even more selfish plans (a calculating woman in male slang - author) and bring chaos to the relationship.

The same opinion, although for different reasons, is shared by 58-year-old Mikhail, a capital businessman with 30 years of family life with one wife, two children and four grandchildren. Mikhail has a high income, no debts (he personally allowed us to check):

- Our grandparents used to say: "Don't rush down the aisle until you're sure that you can make the person you've chosen happy," Mikhail recalls. - Moms and dads would add: "Until you're sure that you can "baptize" (give birth to and raise) children with your chosen one," and it turns out that we're telling our children: "Until you're sure that you can take out a mortgage with them"? At this rate of "transparency," you can even give your wives and husbands loans: as long as you can make the monthly payments, your spouse is with you. But if you can't, sorry, return your half to the bank. True love doesn't care: it's blind, and the debts of a loved one won't stop those truly in love. But immature souls, who haven't yet learned to love, will believe that every love story begins with a loan.