Debt-to-Income (DTI) Calculator
The two ratios lenders check before approving a mortgage, from your own numbers.
Front-end and back-end DTI
The front-end ratio is your housing payment divided by gross monthly income; the back-end ratio adds every other required debt payment. Lenders quote them as a pair, like 28/36: housing at or below 28% of income and all debts at or below 36%. Conventional mortgages often stretch to 43% back-end, FHA sometimes to 50% with strong compensating factors.
What counts as debt
Required monthly payments count: rent or mortgage, car loans and leases, student loans, credit card minimums, personal loans, alimony and child support. Utilities, groceries, insurance, phone plans and taxes do not, which is exactly why a passing DTI can still feel tight in real life. The ratio is a lending screen, not a budget.
Improving the ratio
DTI moves from both ends. Paying a small loan completely off removes its whole payment from the ratio, which usually beats spreading the same cash across balances. Documentable extra income (a raise, steady overtime, a second job with history) raises the denominator. Do both before a mortgage application, not during it.