.calculator-wrapper {
max-width: 800px;
margin: 0 auto;
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
color: #333;
line-height: 1.6;
}
.calc-container {
background: #f8f9fa;
border: 1px solid #e9ecef;
border-radius: 8px;
padding: 30px;
box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);
margin-bottom: 40px;
}
.calc-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
gap: 20px;
}
@media (max-width: 600px) {
.calc-grid {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
}
.input-group {
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.input-group label {
display: block;
margin-bottom: 5px;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 0.9em;
color: #495057;
}
.input-group input {
width: 100%;
padding: 10px;
border: 1px solid #ced4da;
border-radius: 4px;
font-size: 16px;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
.input-group input:focus {
border-color: #4dabf7;
outline: none;
box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(77, 171, 247, 0.2);
}
.section-title {
grid-column: 1 / -1;
font-size: 1.1em;
color: #2c3e50;
border-bottom: 2px solid #dee2e6;
padding-bottom: 10px;
margin-bottom: 15px;
margin-top: 10px;
}
.calc-btn {
grid-column: 1 / -1;
background-color: #0056b3;
color: white;
border: none;
padding: 15px;
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: bold;
border-radius: 4px;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background-color 0.2s;
margin-top: 10px;
}
.calc-btn:hover {
background-color: #004494;
}
#dti-result-box {
grid-column: 1 / -1;
background: #fff;
border-left: 5px solid #0056b3;
padding: 20px;
margin-top: 20px;
display: none;
}
.result-metric {
font-size: 2.5em;
font-weight: 800;
color: #212529;
margin-bottom: 5px;
}
.result-status {
font-weight: bold;
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 1px;
font-size: 0.9em;
}
.status-good { color: #28a745; }
.status-warn { color: #ffc107; }
.status-bad { color: #dc3545; }
.seo-content h2 {
margin-top: 30px;
color: #2c3e50;
}
.seo-content ul {
background: #f8f9fa;
padding: 20px 40px;
border-radius: 5px;
}
.seo-content table {
width: 100%;
border-collapse: collapse;
margin: 20px 0;
}
.seo-content th, .seo-content td {
border: 1px solid #dee2e6;
padding: 12px;
text-align: left;
}
.seo-content th {
background-color: #e9ecef;
}
function calculateDTI() {
// Get Income
var income = parseFloat(document.getElementById('grossIncome').value) || 0;
var otherInc = parseFloat(document.getElementById('otherIncome').value) || 0;
var totalIncome = income + otherInc;
// Get Debts
var housing = parseFloat(document.getElementById('rentMortgage').value) || 0;
var car = parseFloat(document.getElementById('carPayment').value) || 0;
var student = parseFloat(document.getElementById('studentLoan').value) || 0;
var cards = parseFloat(document.getElementById('creditCards').value) || 0;
var other = parseFloat(document.getElementById('otherDebt').value) || 0;
var totalDebt = housing + car + student + cards + other;
// DOM Elements
var resultBox = document.getElementById('dti-result-box');
var percentDisplay = document.getElementById('dti-percent');
var interpDisplay = document.getElementById('dti-interpretation');
var feedbackDisplay = document.getElementById('dti-feedback');
// Validation
if (totalIncome <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Gross Monthly Income greater than 0.");
return;
}
// Calculation
var dtiRatio = (totalDebt / totalIncome) * 100;
var dtiFixed = dtiRatio.toFixed(2);
// Display Results
resultBox.style.display = 'block';
percentDisplay.innerHTML = dtiFixed + "%";
// Interpretation Logic
if (dtiRatio 35 && dtiRatio 43 && dtiRatio <= 50) {
interpDisplay.innerHTML = "HIGH RISK";
interpDisplay.className = "result-status status-bad";
resultBox.style.borderLeftColor = "#dc3545";
feedbackDisplay.innerHTML = "You are approaching a critical level. Many mortgage lenders (including for Qualified Mortgages) set the limit at 43%. Consider debt consolidation or increasing income.";
} else {
interpDisplay.innerHTML = "CRITICAL";
interpDisplay.className = "result-status status-bad";
resultBox.style.borderLeftColor = "#dc3545";
feedbackDisplay.innerHTML = "A DTI over 50% severely limits your borrowing options. Focus immediately on aggressive debt repayment or finding additional income sources.";
}
}
Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio Calculator
1. Monthly Income
2. Monthly Debt Payments
Your Debt-to-Income Ratio is:
0%
What is a Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio?
Your Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio is a personal finance measure that compares an individual's monthly debt payment to their monthly gross income. It is expressed as a percentage and is one of the primary metrics lenders use to determine your ability to manage monthly payments and repay debts.
Unlike your credit score, which measures your history of paying bills, your DTI measures your current capacity to take on new debt. A lower DTI indicates that you have a good balance between debt and income.
How Lenders View Your DTI Results
Whether you are applying for a mortgage, an auto loan, or a personal loan, lenders have specific thresholds for approval. Here is a general breakdown of how different DTI ranges are interpreted:
| DTI Ratio | Lender Interpretation | Typical Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 0% – 35% | Good / Excellent | Eligible for best interest rates; viewed as financially stable. |
| 36% – 43% | Manageable | Generally eligible for loans, but may require more documentation. 43% is often the cut-off for Qualified Mortgages. |
| 44% – 49% | High Risk | Approval is difficult; may require a co-signer or higher interest rates. |
| 50%+ | Critical | Most lenders will deny new lines of credit. Indicates financial distress. |
Front-End vs. Back-End Ratio
While this calculator provides your total (or "back-end") DTI, it is helpful to understand the two types of ratios lenders look at:
- Front-End Ratio: This only calculates your housing expenses (mortgage/rent, property tax, insurance) divided by your gross income. Lenders typically prefer this to be under 28%.
- Back-End Ratio: This includes housing expenses plus all other recurring debt (credit cards, student loans, car payments). This is the number calculated above, and lenders generally prefer it to be under 36% to 43%.
4 Strategies to Lower Your DTI
If your calculation shows a percentage higher than 43%, consider these steps to improve your financial standing:
- Increase Monthly Payments: Pay more than the minimum on your credit cards to reduce the principal balance faster, which eventually lowers your minimum monthly obligation.
- Avoid New Debt: Do not open new credit cards or take out loans before applying for a mortgage, as this increases your total monthly debt obligations.
- Recalculate with a Co-Borrower: If applying for a mortgage, adding a spouse or partner with income can significantly lower the joint DTI ratio.
- Snowball Method: Focus on paying off the smallest debts completely to eliminate those monthly payments entirely from the calculation.