What is a Debt-to-Income Ratio?

Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is the ratio of total debt payments divided by gross income (before tax) expressed as a percentage, usually on either a monthly or annual basis. As a quick example, if someone's monthly income is $1,000 and they spend $480 on debt each month, their DTI ratio is 48%. If they had no debt, their ratio is 0%. There are different types of DTI ratios, some of which are explained in detail below.

There is a separate ratio called the credit utilization ratio (sometimes called debt-to-credit ratio) that is often discussed along with DTI that works slightly differently. The debt-to-credit ratio is the percentage of how much a borrower owes compared to their credit limit and has an impact on their credit score; the higher the percentage, the lower the credit score.

Why is it Important?

DTI is an important indicator of a person's or a family's debt level. Lenders use this figure to assess the risk of lending to them. Credit card issuers, loan companies, and car dealers can all use DTI to assess their risk of doing business with different people. A person with a high ratio is seen by lenders as someone that might not be able to repay what they owe.

Different lenders have different standards for what an acceptable DTI is; a credit card issuer might view a person with a 45% ratio as acceptable and issue them a credit card, but someone who provides personal loans may view it as too high and not extend an offer. It is just one indicator used by lenders to assess the risk of each borrower to determine whether to extend an offer or not, and if so, the characteristics of the loan. Theoretically, the lower the ratio, the better.