What do lenders consider a good debt-to-income ratio?
What do lenders consider a good debt-to-income ratio? A general rule of thumb is to keep your overall debt-to-income ratio at or below 43%.
Do I need to worry about my debt ratio? 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.
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.
If you're looking for a loan, you'll likely need a DTI ratio of 43% or lower to qualify for reasonable terms. But, the lower it is, the better. That's not just the case in terms of your ability to borrow, but also in terms of your financial stability. If your ratio is higher than 35%, it's likely time to act.
Here's an example: A borrower with rent of $1,200, a car payment of $400, a minimum credit card payment of $200 and a gross monthly income of $6,000 has a debt-to-income ratio of 30%.
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.
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.
Most lenders will accept a DTI ratio of 43% or less. However, it's helpful to understand how different ranges can impact your chances of approval when applying for a mortgage.
Debt-to-income ratio of 50% or more
At DTI levels of 50% and higher, you could be seen as someone who struggles to regularly meet all debt obligations. Lenders might need to see you either reduce your debt or increase your income before they're comfortable providing you with a loan or line of credit.
Pay Down Debt
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.
How much debt is healthy?
Ideally, financial experts like to see a DTI of no more than 15 to 20 percent of your net income. For example, a family with a $250 car payment and $100 of monthly credit card payments, and $2,500 net income per month would have a DTI of 14 percent ($350/$2,500 = 0.14 or 14%).
Rent is an expense, and it can be a liability, but it is not a debt unless it is overdue. Rent and mortgage interest are in the same class of expense. But then mortgage interest is not a debt either.
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.
Monthly Payments Not Included in the Debt-to-Income Formula
Many of your monthly bills aren't included in your debt-to-income ratio because they're not debts. These typically include common household expenses such as: Utilities (garbage, electricity, cell phone/landline, gas, water) Cable and internet.
Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) 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. Different loan products and lenders will have different DTI limits.
Your debt-to-income ratio, or DTI, is the percentage of your monthly gross income that goes toward paying off debt, such as credit cards, car loans and student loans. When you're applying for a home loan, lenders will also include your future monthly mortgage payment in the calculation.
The Federal Reserve tracks the nation's household debt payments as a percentage of disposable income. The most recent debt payment-to-income ratio, from the third quarter of 2023, is 9.8%. That means the average American spends nearly 10% of their monthly income on debt payments.
Broadly speaking, there are two ways to improve your DTI ratio: Reduce your monthly debt payments, and increase your income.
Most lenders say a DTI of 36% is acceptable, but they want to lend you money, so they're willing to cut some slack. Many financial advisors say a DTI higher than 35% means you have too much debt. Others stretch the boundaries up to the 49% mark.
It does not include health insurance, auto insurance, gas, utilities, cell phone, cable, groceries, or other non-recurring life expenses. The debts evaluated are: Any/all car, credit card, student, mortgage and/or other installment loan payments.
Which on-time payment will actually improve your credit score?
Paying off your credit card balance every month is one of the factors that can help you improve your scores. Companies use several factors to calculate your credit scores. One factor they look at is how much credit you are using compared to how much you have available.
Generally speaking, a good credit score is 690 to 719 in the commonly used 300-850 credit score range. Scores 720 and above are considered excellent, while scores 630 to 689 are considered fair. Scores below 630 fall into the bad credit range.
For lending purposes, the debt-to-income calculation is usually based on gross income. Gross income is a before-tax calculation, meaning it's before income taxes have been deducted from your pay.
You're Preparing for a Major Credit-Based Purchase
Even an unpaid $16 library fine from four years ago can keep you from your dream home. It's a good idea to get a credit report six months prior to making a loan application to clear up any discrepancies.
A good DTI ratio to get approved for a mortgage is under 36%, but it's possible to qualify with a higher ratio. Barbara Marquand writes about mortgages, homebuying and homeownership. Previously, she wrote about insurance and investing at NerdWallet and covered personal finance for QuinStreet.
