Is 25 a good debt-to-income ratio?
35% or less is generally viewed as favorable, and your debt is manageable. You likely have money remaining after paying monthly bills. 36% to 49% means your DTI ratio is adequate, but you have room for improvement. Lenders might ask for other eligibility requirements.
35% or less: Looking Good - Relative to your income, your debt is at a manageable level. You most likely have money left over for saving or spending after you've paid your bills.
It's calculated by dividing your monthly debts by your gross monthly income. Generally, it's a good idea to keep your DTI ratio below 43%, though 35% or less is considered “good.”
DTIs between 42% and 49% suggest you're nearing unmanageable levels of debt relative to your income. Lenders might not be convinced that you will be able to meet payments for another line of credit.
The Federal Reserve tracks the nation's household debt payments as a percentage of disposable income. The most recent debt payment-to-income ratio, from the third quarter of 2023, is 9.8%. That means the average American spends nearly 10% of their monthly income on debt payments.
Key Takeaways. The debt-to-income (DTI) ratio measures the percentage of a person's monthly income that goes to debt payments. A DTI of 43% is typically the highest ratio a borrower can have and still get qualified for a mortgage, but lenders generally seek ratios of no more than 36%.
Lenders generally look for the ideal candidate's front-end ratio to be no more than 28 percent, and the back-end ratio to be no higher than 36 percent. They then work backward to figure out how much of a mortgage and a mortgage payment you could afford.
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.
You should strive to keep your back-end DTI ratio at or below 36%.
Your particular ratio in addition to your overall monthly income and debt, and credit rating are weighed when you apply for a new credit account. Standards and guidelines vary, most lenders like to see a DTI below 35─36% but some mortgage lenders allow up to 43─45% DTI, with some FHA-insured loans allowing a 50% DTI.
What is a good monthly income for a credit card?
If your monthly income is $2,500, your DTI ratio would be 64 percent, which might be too high to qualify for a credit card. With an income of roughly $3,700 and the same debt, however, you'd have a DTI ratio of 43 percent and would have better chances of qualifying for a credit card.
The general rule of thumb is that you shouldn't spend more than 10 percent of your take-home income on credit card debt.
Rent is an expense, and it can be a liability, but it is not a debt unless it is overdue. Rent and mortgage interest are in the same class of expense. But then mortgage interest is not a debt either.
Around 23% of Americans are debt free, according to the most recent data available from the Federal Reserve. That figure factors in every type of debt, from credit card balances and student loans to mortgages, car loans and more. The exact definition of debt free can vary, though, depending on whom you ask.
Credit card debt in America by the numbers
That represents a 4.6% increase in a single quarter, with cardholders shouldering thirteen-figure debt at $1.03 trillion for the first time. In short, that amounts to an average balance of $5,733 per cardholder.
The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024. Credit scores, which are like a grade for your borrowing history, fall in the range of 300 to 850.
A good debt-to-income ratio is below 43%, and many lenders prefer 36% or below. Learn more about how debt-to-income ratio is calculated and how you can improve yours.
Paying off your credit card balance every month is one of the factors that can help you improve your scores. Companies use several factors to calculate your credit scores. One factor they look at is how much credit you are using compared to how much you have available.
How to calculate your debt-to-income ratio. Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) compares how much you owe each month to how much you earn. Specifically, it's the percentage of your gross monthly income (before taxes) that goes towards payments for rent, mortgage, credit cards, or other debt.
The 28/36 rule dictates that you spend no more than 28 percent of your gross monthly income on housing costs and no more than 36 percent on all of your debt combined, including those housing costs.
What is the 35 mortgage rule?
With the 35% / 45% model, your total monthly debt, including your mortgage payment, shouldn't be more than 35% of your pre-tax income, or 45% more than your after-tax income. To calculate how much you can afford with this model, determine your gross income before taxes and multiply it by 35%.
So, assuming you have enough to cover that down payment plus more left over for upkeep and emergencies — and also assuming your other monthly debts don't take you over that 36 percent figure — you should be able to afford a home of $470,000 on your salary.
- Increase the amount you pay monthly toward your debts. Extra payments can help lower your overall debt more quickly.
- Ask creditors to reduce your interest rate, which would lead to savings that you could use to pay down debt.
- Avoid taking on more debt.
- Look for ways to increase your income.
Broadly speaking, there are two ways to improve your DTI ratio: Reduce your monthly debt payments, and increase your income.
A debt ratio below 30% is excellent. Above 40% is critical. Lenders could deny you a loan.
