When you picture a banker in your mind, what does it look like? I see a person (man or woman) in a conservative suit, with a calm and disciplined demeanor, and a face that cries out “trust me with your money”. Okay, I know, that’s a stereotype, but you have to admit that most people involved in the banking industry tend to be more conservative, disciplined, and structured. And that’s a good thing, really, because after all you wouldn’t want somebody wild and crazy handling your financial stuff, right? (Those kinds of people are on Wall Street in the big financial firms, but that’s a topic for a different blog entry!)

Well, you can throw that stereotype of typical banking types out the window, because one of the leading web sites devoted to helping people arrange to have affairs (IllicitEncounters.com) is reporting a sharp spike in bankers and other financial workers joining the site in search of affairs. Why? The answers might not be all that surprising, when you think about it:

1. To feel as if someone loves them
2. Because their life at home has undergone a great deal of stress
3. To boost their ego
4. To enjoy the thrill of great sex without the burden of a relationship

I’d like to think that these kinds of bawdy bankers have enough smarts to go trolling for encounters at web sites set up just for those seeking affairs and the like, but I suspect that isn’t necessarily the case. There are probably plenty of them who opt for the more mainstream dating sites rather than the affair-specific sites.

So the next time you find yourself connecting with a single whose profession is listed as “banker”, be sure to exercise a bit of extra caution. You don’t want to get caught up in much more than you bargained for!

News & Views Affairs, Banking, Money

It was inevitable, I guess. Online dating is a huge, huge industry, providing singles of all backgrounds and preferences the opportunity to connect with each other for the purpose of dating and having a relationship. It shouldn’t surprise anyone, then, that online dating sites for married people are rapidly growing in size and popularity.

Regardless of where you come down on the moral side of this issue, there’s no denying the power of the internet to make it fast and easy for married people to find willing partners outside of their marriage relationship. The most famous of these sites is probably AshleyMadison.com, a website that has become huge since its launch in 2001.

These kinds of sites cater to the “special needs” of married people, offering services such as anonymous messaging, identity protection, discreet credit card billing, and the like. They also talk very frankly about the risks associated with using their website to connect with a potential lover, not the least of which is the damage such activity can do to an existing relationship and the unintended consequences it can create. Most include suggestions about seeking relationship counseling before considering using their services, but I think that’s mostly to cover themselves from a liability standpoint.

Right or wrong, websites like AshleyMadison.com do exist and continue to thrive. While individuals have to make the personal choice about whether or not to use them, the online dating industry as a whole needs to be very cautious about “accepting” these sites as legitimate because they have the potential to damage the reputation of online dating overall.

Affairs and Cheating Affairs, Ashley Madison, Cheating, Married

Some people start online dating for one reason – to cheat on their spouses. While this isn’t exactly an honorable reason to date online, it’s the truth. And it’s becoming more rampant than ever.

There are two sides to this debate – one that supports infidelity online and one that says to avoid cheaters altogether.

To make things easier for you, here are the advantages to cheating online:

• You can be discreet
• You can meet other married people
• You can create online relationships
• You can have multiple relationships
• There are sites devoted entirely to married people who want to date

Here are the disadvantages to cheating online:

• There’s a permanent electronic record of your infidelity
• You might run into your spouse
• You can get ‘outed’ as a married person
• You can get caught much more easily
• You have to pay money

Is there an answer to whether or not you should cheat on your spouse? Only you can decide, but when it comes to creating a new relationship, it always seems to be better to get rid of the old before you bring in the new – online or not.

Maybe if you’re tempted to cheat online, you might want to talk to your spouse about what you feel. This can help you both figure out what you need to do to fix your relationship or to break it off.

They say cheaters are never winners, after all.

Affairs and Cheating Affairs, Cheating, Fling, Infidelity, Married