A walkthrough, end to end.
- 1
Enter your gross monthly income.
- 2
Enter all monthly debt payments — housing (proposed or current) plus minimums on credit cards, student loans, auto loans, alimony, etc.
- 3
The calculator returns front-end DTI (housing only) and back-end DTI (total debt) as a percentage of income.
DTI ratios
Front-end (housing) DTI = Monthly Housing / Gross Monthly Income. Back-end (total) DTI = Total Monthly Debt / Gross Monthly Income. Lender ratios most commonly: 28/36 conservative, 31/43 FHA max, 50% absolute hard cap.
What you can do with this.
Mortgage qualification
Conventional loans typically allow 28% front-end / 36% back-end max. Strong applicants can stretch to 43% back-end. Above 43% is the QM (qualified mortgage) hard limit — most lenders won't go higher.
FHA loan DTI
FHA caps front-end at 31% and back-end at 43%. Manual underwriting can push to 50% back-end with compensating factors (large reserves, high credit score).
VA loan DTI
VA has more flexible DTI (commonly 41% guideline) but compensates with residual-income tests rather than rigid caps. Veterans with healthy residual income can qualify above 41%.
Auto loan DTI
Lenders typically want total DTI (including the new car payment) below 40–50%. Even with 'qualifying' DTI, your remaining cash flow needs to support living expenses comfortably.
Refinance DTI requirements
Refinance underwriting uses the same DTI rules as purchase loans. If your DTI has crept up since closing on the original loan, you may not qualify even though your payment history is perfect.
Lowering DTI before applying
Pay down credit card balances 1–2 months before applying — they update each cycle. Don't open new credit. Don't pay off auto loan early if you'll need to use that cash flow elsewhere; the math is rate-dependent.
Including alimony / child support
Required alimony, child support, and other court-ordered payments count in DTI. Documentation requirements vary by lender — typically 6–12 months of payment history.
DTI calculator 2026 — what's current
Federal CFPB QM rule caps DTI at 43% for most loans, with some exceptions for portfolio lenders. The 28/36 ratio remains the broadly-followed conservative baseline.
Frequently asked.
Gross (pre-tax). Lenders qualify on gross monthly income; the DTI ratios (28/36, 43%) all assume gross.
Recurring required payments: rent/mortgage, minimum credit card payments, auto loans, student loans, personal loans, alimony, child support. Not utilities, not groceries, not insurance unless escrowed.
Below 36% back-end is comfortable. 36–43% is acceptable but stretched. Above 43% signals genuine financial strain — focus on debt payoff before adding more.
No. Calculations run entirely in your browser.