"I have seen people with lower credit scores be disciplined, make a commitment, and raise it," Tessler says. "It is hard work, but we can change our money stories and patterns."
Part of that effort, of course, will be the dreaded Money Conversation. If you and your partner are wildly mismatched in your credit, there is no way of getting around it: You are going to have to sit down, open a bottle of wine, and discuss those differences.
It is never comfortable, but think of it as a pre-emptive strike to save your relationship, advises financial planner David Haas of Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
"If they have different money approaches - one person always paying bills on time, and the other not worrying about it or continuously spending beyond their budget - then it is important for the couple to come to terms with this together.
Otherwise, money and credit will be an area of strife which can break up the relationship, Haas says.