What is the rule of thumb for debt?

Asked by: Ian Mueller  |  Last update: September 12, 2025
Score: 4.2/5 (24 votes)

The 20/10 rule of thumb is a budgeting technique that can be an effective way to keep your debt under control. It says your total debt shouldn't equal more than 20% of your annual income, and that your monthly debt payments shouldn't be more than 10% of your monthly income.

What is the 50 30 20 rule for debt?

With the 50/30/20 budget, 50 percent of your total monthly household income goes toward Must-Haves, 30 percent for Wants and 20 percent into your Savings and Debt Payoff. A Must-Have is any payment that would severely affect your quality of life if you didn't make it.

What is the 30/20/30/40 rule?

It goes like this: 40% of income should go towards necessities (such as rent/mortgage, utilities, and groceries) 30% should go towards discretionary spending (such as dining out, entertainment, and shopping) - Hubble Money App is just for this. 20% should go towards savings or paying off debt.

Is the 28/36 rule realistic?

Bottom line. Like any conventional wisdom, the 28/36 rule is only a guideline, not a decree. It can help determine how much of a house you can afford, but everyone's circumstances are different and lenders consider a variety of factors.

What is the golden rule of debt?

In the golden rule, a budget deficit and an increase in public debt is allowed if and only if the public debt is used to finance public investment.

We are $2 Billion in Debt, Here’s What Banks Don't Want You Know about Money

22 related questions found

What are the three types of debt you never want to have?

3 TYPES OF TOXIC DEBT AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
  • What is Toxic Debt? The most obvious answer is high interest revolving credit. ...
  • Payday Loans. ...
  • Pawn Shops. ...
  • Debt-to-Income Ratio. ...
  • Tips to Get Rid of and Avoid Toxic Debt. ...
  • Final Thoughts:

How much debt is too high?

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.

What is the 20 10 rule tell you about debt?

Simply put, the 20/10 rule advises that you should avoid accumulating long-term debt that exceeds 20% of your annual income, and you should avoid debt payments of more than 10% of your monthly income.

What is considered house poor?

"House poor" is a term used to describe a person who spends a large proportion of their total income on homeownership, including mortgage payments, property taxes, maintenance, and utilities.

Do banks use the 28-36 rule?

The 28/36 rule is a standard that most lenders use before advancing any credit, so consumers should be aware of the rule before they apply for any type of loan.

What is the 70 20 10 budget rule?

Now, the rule says you should spend 70% on needs, 20% on savings, and 10% on wants. Christine Devane, CEO and cofounder of Brightfin, has seen this sentiment in her budgeting work.

What is the best rule for saving money?

Key Takeaways. The 50-30-20 budget rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must have or must do. The remaining half should dedicate 20% to savings, leaving 30% to be spent on things you want but don't necessarily need.

What is the 20 rule when buying a house?

While a 20 percent down payment is the traditional standard for purchasing a home, it is not mandatory and there are loan options that have much lower minimum requirements. Private mortgage insurance will likely be required with a down payment of less than 20 percent, which will add to your monthly payment.

What is the 80 20 rule debt?

Key takeaways

The 80/20 rule breaks out putting 20% of your income toward savings (paying yourself) and 80% toward everything else. Once you've adjusted to that 20% or a number you're comfortable with saving, set up automatic payments to ensure you stick to it.

What is a good monthly income?

While this figure can vary based on factors such as location, family size, and lifestyle preferences, a common range for a good monthly salary is between $6,000 and $8,333 for individuals.

What are Dave Ramsey's four walls?

Simply put, the Four Walls are the most basic expenses you need to cover to keep your family going: That's food, utilities, shelter and transportation.

What is cash poor?

cash poor (comparative more cash poor, superlative most cash poor) (business, finance) Possessing considerable economic assets, but unable to quickly or easily liquidate them for monetary transactions.

What household income is considered rich?

Based on that figure, an annual income of $500,000 or more would make you rich. The Economic Policy Institute uses a different baseline to determine who constitutes the top 1% and the top 5%. For 2021, you're in the top 1% if you earn $819,324 or more each year. The top 5% of income earners make $335,891 per year.

Is $20,000 a lot of debt?

U.S. consumers carry $6,501 in credit card debt on average, according to Experian data, but if your balance is much higher—say, $20,000 or beyond—you may feel hopeless. Paying off a high credit card balance can be a daunting task, but it is possible.

What is the 40 40 20 budget?

The 40/40/20 rule comes in during the saving phase of his wealth creation formula. Cardone says that from your gross income, 40% should be set aside for taxes, 40% should be saved, and you should live off of the remaining 20%.

How to pay off 10k worth of debt?

7 ways to pay off $10,000 in credit card debt
  1. Opt for debt relief. One powerful approach to managing and reducing your credit card debt is with the help of debt relief companies. ...
  2. Use the snowball or avalanche method. ...
  3. Find ways to increase your income. ...
  4. Cut unnecessary expenses. ...
  5. Seek credit counseling. ...
  6. Use financial windfalls.

What does the average person have in debt?

According to Experian, average total consumer household debt in 2023 is $104,215. That's up 11% from 2020, when average total consumer debt was $92,727.

What is a good credit score but a high debt-to-income ratio?

FHA loans for higher DTI

FHA loans are known for being more lenient with credit and DTI requirements. With a good credit score (580 or higher), you might qualify for an FHA loan with a DTI ratio of up to 50%. This makes FHA loans a popular choice for borrowers with good credit but high debt-to-income ratios.

Is $5000 in debt a lot?

Is $5,000 a lot of debt? The answer will depend on your credit limits. If you have $10,000 in available credit across two cards, then your utilization is 50%, which is a bit high and can hurt your credit score. But if you have $20,000 in credit across three cards, you're only using 25%, which is in a healthy range.