Your credit score isn’t the only thing you need to worry about when applying for a loan. Having a good debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is also key to qualifying for financing — and understanding it can set you on the path to getting a better interest rate or a more favourable loan term.
Calculate what percentage of your income is allotted to debt.
| Your monthly debt payments | |
|---|---|
| Credit card payments | Car loan payments |
| Mortgage payments | Other loan payments |
| Your monthly income | |
A debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is the amount of debt repayments you make each month divided by your income. Lenders use your DTI as one way to make sure you’re in a position to afford your loan repayments.
monthly debt ÷ monthly income = debt-to-income ratio
Typically, underwriters figure out your DTI themselves — however knowing your ratio before you apply can help you tell if it’s a good time to apply for financing. If your score is too high, you might want to consider paying off some debt first in order to avoid high rates or getting rejected.
Calculating your DTI doesn’t require complicated math once you understand what the terms debt and income cover.
Here’s how to calculate your debt-to-income ratio:
Let’s take a look at two examples.
1. Anita’s a recent university graduate who wants to apply for a credit card to improve her credit score. She makes $48,000 a year before taxes as a full-time project manager at a local nonprofit. Her only debt is student loan repayments. Figuring out her DTI is pretty simple:
| Total debt | $400 a month in student loan repayments |
|---|---|
| Total income | $4,000 before taxes |
| Debt-to-income ratio | 400/4,000 = 0.1 or 10% |
2. Frank wants to apply for a personal loan to help cover the cost of his son’s wedding, but his situation is a bit more complicated than Anita’s. He’s 66 years old, makes $75,000 a year and receives monthly CPP and OAS benefits. He also has a mortgage, a car loan and two credit cards that he pays off each month. Here’s how Frank calculates his DTI:
| Total debt | $599 mortgage repayment + $479 car loan repayment + $20 minimum credit card payment + $75 minimum credit card payment = $1,173 |
|---|---|
| Total income | $6,250 a month salary + $500 a month CPP and OAS = $6,750 |
| Debt-to-income ratio | $1,173/$6,750 = 0.17377777 or about 17.38% |
The lower the DTI, the better. More specifically, a DTI of 36% or below is generally considered good, while a DTI of 37-42% is considered manageable. A DTI of 43% or higher will likely mean you won’t qualify for a loan, as anything 43% or higher is considered cause for concern. A DTI of 50% or higher is considered dangerous.
Why 43%? Lenders came up with this number as a result of mortgage-risk studies that analyzed the type of borrowers who are most likely to have trouble making repayments — and ultimately default on their loans.
Your DTI is a factor lenders consider when determining the rates and terms of your loan. In general, you’re more likely to get a better rate with a lower DTI.
To calculate your DTI, you first need to know what counts as debt and what counts as income.
Debt includes your regular monthly repayments on personal loans, student loans, car loans, mortgages or any other type of loan. Your monthly minimum credit card payments also count as debt, as do unpaid bills sent to collection agencies.
Things like rent, utility bills, cable bills (or, let’s be real, Netflix subscription fees) aren’t included in your DTI. Car insurance, health insurance and other types of insurance premiums also don’t count as debt.
You might think that monthly bills besides credit card and loan payments should count — but here’s why they don’t: With these bills, you’re paying for a service, typically one that’s consistent.
The income DTI refers to is your gross monthly income — that is, your income before taxes or deductions are subtracted. Income includes your salary, but it’s not limited to just what you bring in each month.
Tips or bonuses, CPP and OAS benefits, alimony and child support all count as income too. Think of income as any kind of money that’s coming in that you don’t have to repay.
In one word: Loans. Borrowed money doesn’t count as income because it’s money you have to pay back — in other words, it’s actually debt.
You also can’t include income that you don’t have reasonable access to when calculating your DTI. As an example, if you’re a student and still count as a dependent when your parents file for taxes, even if you get most of your money from your parents, you can’t count their income as yours when applying for a credit card or student loan.
If you come across a lender that markets itself in this way, make sure it’s legitimate before signing on. Read online reviews, check out its accreditations and confirm that it has no complaints on the Better Business Bureau website.
With rising debt amounts across the country, you’re probably not alone if your debt-to-income ratio is above or close to the 43% mark. Here are some ways you can lower your DTI:
If you don’t need the loan right away, consider holding off on reapplying until you’ve taken steps to improve your DTI. Showing that you can repay your loan is one of the most important factors to a reputable lender.
If it’s an emergency, consider applying for a short-term loan, which often comes with more lenient eligibility requirements. Keep in mind there’s no guarantee you’ll be approved for a short-term loan either. Even if you are approved, you could end up with astronomical interest rates that can send you into a debt spiral if you’re unable to make your repayments on time.[/fin_did_you_know]
Your debt-to-income ratio is an important factor that is considered when you apply for a loan — and is right up there with how important a factor your credit score is. While many lenders calculate your DTI for you, knowing yours can help you figure out the type of loan you can qualify for.
If your DTI is over 43%, consider taking steps to lower it before applying for new credit.
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