What is an ideal debt-to-income ratio? Lenders typically say the ideal front-end ratio should be no more than 28 percent, and the back-end ratio, including all expenses, should be 36 percent or lower.
Getting approved with a 50% DTI means half your monthly pre-tax income is going toward your mortgage and other debts. That number will feel even higher after taxes are taken out. You might decide qualifying with the maximum DTI makes sense for you.
Our standards for Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio
Take a look at the guidelines we use: 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.
Lenders generally look for the ideal front-end ratio to be no more than 28 percent, and the back-end ratio, including all monthly debts, to be no higher than 36 percent.
What Is a Good Debt-to-Income Ratio? As a general guideline, 43% is the highest DTI ratio a borrower can have and still get qualified for a mortgage. Ideally, lenders prefer a debt-to-income ratio lower than 36%, with no more than 28% of that debt going towards servicing a mortgage or rent payment.
If your DTI is 35% or less, you're doing well. Your repayments are manageable, and you may have room for another financial obligation. If you have a DTI ratio between 36% and 49%, you're not doing too badly—but you have room to improve.
Expressed as a percentage, a debt-to-income ratio is calculated by dividing total recurring monthly debt by monthly gross income. Lenders prefer to see a debt-to-income ratio smaller than 36%, with no more than 28% of that debt going towards servicing your mortgage.
DTI is less than 36%: Your debt is likely manageable, relative to your income. You shouldn't have trouble accessing new lines of credit. DTI is 36% to 42%: This level of debt could cause lenders concern, and you may have trouble borrowing money. Consider paying down what you owe.
What is the most important number in determining your ability to get a mortgage? If you're like most people, Credit Score likely came to mind. However, there may be a number used by mortgage companies and banks with even more impact than your credit score: Debt-to-income Ratio or (DTI).
A Critical Number For Homebuyers
One way to decide how much of your income should go toward your mortgage is to use the 28/36 rule. According to this rule, your mortgage payment shouldn't be more than 28% of your monthly pre-tax income and 36% of your total debt. This is also known as the debt-to-income (DTI) ratio.
To calculate your DTI ratio, divide your total recurring monthly debt by your gross monthly income — the total amount you earn each month before taxes, withholdings and expenses. For example, if you owe $2,000 in debt each month and your monthly gross income is $6,000, your DTI ratio would be 33 percent.
FHA loans only require a 3.5% down payment. High DTI. If you have a high debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, FHA provides more flexibility and typically lets you go up to a 55% ratio (meaning your debts as a percentage of your income can be as much as 55%). Low credit score.
FHA loans are mortgages backed by the U.S. Federal Housing Administration. FHA loans have more lenient credit score requirements. The maximum DTI for FHA loans is 57%, although it's decided on a case-by-case basis.
Conventional loan debt-to-income (DTI) ratios
The maximum debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for a conventional loan is 45%. Exceptions can be made for DTIs as high as 49.9% with strong compensating factors like a high credit score and/or lots of cash reserves.
“Paying off that card freed up enough monthly debt obligations to lower our DTI and make our mortgage possible.” In addition to lowering your debt, you can change your DTI by increasing your income. As described in the example above, someone who makes $2,000 each month and pays $1,000 toward loans has a 50% DTI.
*Remember your current rent payment or mortgage is not actually included in your DTI calculated by the lender.
What payments should not be included in debt-to-income? The following payments should not be included: Monthly utilities, like water, garbage, electricity or gas bills. Car Insurance expenses.
Generally, an acceptable debt-to-income ratio should sit at or below 36%. Some lenders, like mortgage lenders, generally require a debt ratio of 36% or less. In the example above, the debt ratio of 38% is a bit too high. However, some government loans allow for higher DTIs, often in the 41-43% range.
Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) helps lenders decide whether to approve your mortgage application. But what is it exactly? Simply put, it is the percentage of your monthly pre-tax income you must spend on your monthly debt payments plus the projected payment on the new home loan.
A good DTI ratio to get approved for a mortgage is under 36%. A higher ratio could mean you'll pay more interest or be denied a loan. Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us.
Evaluating debt ratios
When the Borrower's monthly debt payment to income ratio exceeds 45%, the loan is ineligible for sale to Freddie Mac. As a guideline, the monthly debt payment-to-income ratio should not be greater than 33% to 36% of the Borrower's stable monthly income.
Generally, a DTI of 20% or less is considered low and at or below 43% is the rule of thumb for getting a qualified mortgage, according to the CFPB. Lenders for personal loans tend to be more lenient with DTI than mortgage lenders. In all cases, however, the lower your DTI, the better.
Monthly Payments Not Included in the Debt-to-Income Formula
Paid television (cable, satellite, streaming) and internet services. Car insurance. Health insurance and other medical bills. Cell phone services.