Actually. · DTI calculator

What lenders actually see.

Q: Should I use gross or net income?

Use gross (pre-tax) income. Lenders compute DTI on gross because that's the number they see on tax returns and pay stubs. Using net income would make your DTI look better than the lender will see it.

Debt-to-income is the single number that decides whether your loan gets approved and at what rate. This calculator gives you both the front-end (housing only) and back-end (all debts) DTI, plus the bands lenders use. Runs in your browser — nothing stored, nothing sent.

Monthly income

Gross income

Use gross (pre-tax). Lenders compute DTI on gross.

How is that income measured?

Monthly debt payments

Mortgage or rent (PITI for owners)

Auto loans

Credit card minimums

Student loans

Other monthly debts

Back-end DTI (all debts)

39%

Acceptable · lenders may still qualify you, often at higher rates.

Lenders price loans in 5-point DTI steps. The U.S. median household sits around 35% back-end DTI; below 36% tends to get the cleanest pricing on mortgages and auto loans. Each 1-point drop widens what a lender will offer.

Where you sit on the lender bands

Bands sourced from Fannie Mae Selling Guide §B3-6 and FHA Handbook 4000.1 §II.A.5.d.

Gross monthly income

$6,000

Total monthly debts

$2,310

Front-end DTI (housing only)

30%

Back-end DTI (all debts)

39%

What changes a DTI offer

Two ways DTI gets better: pay off debt or earn more. The fastest single move is usually clearing one revolving balance — even closing a single $200/mo credit card minimum can drop a borderline DTI into the next band. The Actually. app shows which debt does the most for your DTI per dollar paid.

How lenders read DTI

Two DTIs, two thresholds.

Front-end DTI

Housing payments (PITI for owners, rent for renters) divided by gross monthly income. Conventional underwriters generally want this under 28% for the strongest rates.

Back-end DTI

All monthly debt payments — housing plus auto, student, cards, alimony, child support — divided by gross monthly income. Conventional mortgages typically cap this at 43% (sometimes higher with compensating factors).

What pushes the rate

Higher DTI rarely disqualifies you outright at the modern caps; it nudges your rate offer up. Even a 2-point reduction in DTI can change what a lender quotes you.

Common questions

A few things people ask.

What is debt-to-income (DTI)?

DTI is the percentage of your gross monthly income that goes to debt payments. Lenders use it to decide how much additional debt you can carry. Front-end DTI counts only housing payments; back-end DTI counts all debts including housing.

What DTI do lenders look for?

Conventional mortgages typically want back-end DTI under 43%, with the strongest rates at 36% and below. Auto and personal loans use similar bands.

Should I use gross or net income?

Gross (pre-tax). Lenders compute DTI on gross because that's the number they see on tax returns and pay stubs. Using net would make your DTI look better than the lender will see it.

Does this calculator save my data?

No. Every calculation runs in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server. Refresh and the inputs reset.

Trying to move a borderline DTI?

Actually. tracks every debt and shows which one moves your DTI the most per dollar paid down. Numbers live in your own Google Drive — durable storage you control. Free forever.

App in Beta coming soon

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