A debt-to-income, or DTI, ratio is derived by dividing your monthly debt payments by your monthly gross income. The ratio is expressed as a percentage, and lenders use it to determine how well you manage monthly debts -- and if you can afford to repay a loan.
Generally, lenders view consumers with higher DTI ratios as riskier borrowers because they might run into trouble repaying their loan in case of financial hardship.
To calculate your debt-to-income ratio, add up all of your monthly debts – rent or mortgage payments, student loans, personal loans, auto loans, credit card payments, child support, alimony, etc. – and divide the sum by your monthly income. For example, if your monthly debt equals $2,500 and your gross monthly income is $7,000, your DTI ratio is about 36 percent. (2,500/7,000=0.357).
There are two components mortgage lenders use for a DTI ratio: a front-end ratio and back-end ratio. Here's a closer look at each and how they are calculated:
Here's a simple two-step formula for calculating your DTI ratio.
Keep in mind that other monthly bills and financial obligations -- utilities, groceries, insurance premiums, healthcare expenses, daycare, etc. -- are not part of this calculation. Your lender isn't going to factor these budget items into their decision on how much money to lend you. Keep in mind that just because you qualify for a $300,000 mortgage, that doesn't mean you can actually afford the monthly payment that comes with it when considering your entire budget.
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. In reality, depending on your credit score, savings, assets and down payment, lenders may accept higher ratios, depending on the type of loan you're applying for.
For conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, lenders now accept a DTI ratio as high as 50 percent. That means half of your monthly income is going toward housing expenses and recurring monthly debt obligations.
Credit bureaus don't look at your income when they score your credit so your DTI ratio has little bearing on your actual score. But borrowers with a high DTI ratio may have a high credit utilization ratio -- and that accounts for 30 percent of your credit score.
Credit utilization ratio is the outstanding balance on your credit accounts in relation to your maximum credit limit. If you have a credit card with a $2,000 limit and a balance of $1,000, your credit utilization ratio is 50 percent. Ideally, you want to keep that your credit utilization ratio below 30 percent when applying for a mortgage.
Lowering your credit utilization ratio will not only help boost your credit score, but lower your DTI ratio because you're paying down more debt.
To get your DTI ratio under better control, focus on paying down debt with these four tips.
Dear Debt Adviser, I have about $50,000 of debt on credit cards. My credit rating is still high. I am thinking about a debt consolidation loan. Will that adversely affect my credit rating? -- DT
Dear DT, The cliche... Read more