What is a debt-to-income ratio? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2024)

FAQs

What is a debt-to-income ratio? | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? ›

Your debt-to-income ratio is all your monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income. This number is one way lenders measure your ability to manage the monthly payments to repay the money you plan to borrow.

Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) compares how much you owe each month to how much you earn. Specifically, it's the percentage of your gross monthly income (before taxes) that goes towards payments for rent, mortgage, credit cards, or other debt.

35% or less: Looking Good - Relative to your income, your debt is at a manageable level. You most likely have money left over for saving or spending after you've paid your bills. Lenders generally view a lower DTI as favorable.

Key Takeaways

A DTI of 43% is typically the highest ratio that a borrower can have and still get qualified for a mortgage, but lenders generally seek ratios of no more than 36%.

If your debt ratio does not exceed 30%, the banks will find it excellent. Your ratio shows that if you manage your daily expenses well, you should be able to pay off your debts without worry or penalty. A debt ratio between 30% and 36% is also considered good.

Key takeaways

Debt-to-income ratio is your monthly debt obligations compared to your gross monthly income (before taxes), expressed as a percentage. A good debt-to-income ratio is less than or equal to 36%. Any debt-to-income ratio above 43% is considered to be too much debt.

DTI is one factor that can help lenders decide whether you can repay the money you have borrowed or take on more debt. A good debt-to-income ratio is below 43%, and many lenders prefer 36% or below. Learn more about how debt-to-income ratio is calculated and how you can improve yours.

A debt-to-income ratio over 43% may prevent you from getting a Qualified Mortgage; possibly limiting you to approval for home loans that are more restrictive or expensive. Less favorable terms when you borrow or seek credit. If you have a high debt-to-income ratio, you will be seen as a more risky borrowing prospect.

How do I calculate my debt-to-income ratio? To calculate your DTI, you add up all your monthly debt payments and divide them by your gross monthly income. Your gross monthly income is generally the amount of money you have earned before your taxes and other deductions are taken out.

Paying down debt is the most straightforward way to reduce your DTI. The fewer debts you owe, the lower your debt-to-income ratio will be. Suppose that you have a car loan with a monthly payment of $500. You can begin paying an extra $250 toward the principal each month to pay off the vehicle sooner.

Do medical bills affect your debt-to-income ratio? ›

Your debt-to-income ratio does not factor in your monthly rent payments, any medical debt that you might owe, your cable bill, your cell phone bill, utilities, car insurance or health insurance.

Should you pay off all credit card debt before getting a mortgage? In some cases, especially if your current credit score makes it difficult for you to get a mortgage loan, it's a good idea to pay down credit card debt. But keep in mind that credit card debt isn't the only factor in getting mortgage approval.

Standards and guidelines vary, most lenders like to see a DTI below 35─36% but some mortgage lenders allow up to 43─45% DTI, with some FHA-insured loans allowing a 50% DTI.

Lenders prefer bad debt to sales ratios under 0.4 or 40%. However, most companies prefer to have much lower numbers than this. Unless you have no bad debt, there is room to improve.

From a pure risk perspective, debt ratios of 0.4 or lower are considered better, while a debt ratio of 0.6 or higher makes it more difficult to borrow money. While a low debt ratio suggests greater creditworthiness, there is also risk associated with a company carrying too little debt.

The target debt ratio is the debt ratio that you assume the firms will move towards over time from the current mix of debt and equity. The target debt ratio is estimated by estimating your industry's average debt ratio OR computing the optimal debt ratio.

Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio is how much money you earn versus what you spend. It's calculated by dividing your monthly debts by your gross monthly income. Generally, it's a good idea to keep your DTI ratio below 43%, though 35% or less is considered “good.”

11% to 20%: Again, shouldn't have trouble getting loans. Time to scale back on spending. 21% to 35%: Although you may not have trouble getting new credit cards, you are spending too much of your monthly income on debt repayment. 36% to 50%: You may still qualify for certain loans, however it will be at higher rates.

According to the 28/36 rule, you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing and no more than 36% on all debts. Housing costs can include: Your monthly mortgage payment. Homeowners Insurance. Private mortgage insurance.

The average debt an American owes is $104,215 across mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, auto loans, credit card debt, student loan debt, and other debts like personal loans. Data from Experian breaks down the average debt a consumer holds based on type, age, credit score, and state.