What is a debt-to-income ratio?
Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is a simple measurement of your monthly debt compared to your gross monthly income. This lets lenders see how you’ve managed payments for what you’ve borrowed. Typically, borrowers that have a high debt-to-income ratio will likely have trouble making repayments. Borrowers with a debt-to-income ratio over 43% are generally considered to be going through a financial hardship, while an excellent debt-to-income ratio is about 20% or lower.
Let’s say you have a total of $1,000 in bills each month and your gross monthly take home pay is $3,000 – your debt-to-income ratio is 30%. With a 30% debt-to-income ratio you would appear as a relatively responsible borrower. Calculate your DTI.