Your debt-to-income ratio is the share of your gross monthly income consumed by debt payments. Lenders — especially mortgage lenders — use it to judge whether you can afford another payment. Many prefer a total DTI under 36%, with hard caps typically between 43% and 50%.
DTI counts recurring debt (mortgage or rent, car loans, student loans, card minimums), not living expenses like utilities or groceries.
Check yours with the Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator.