Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is a measure of how much of your monthly income is spent on debt payments. Lenders use DTI to assess your ability to repay a loan. A higher DTI means that you have less money available to make loan payments, which can make you a riskier borrower in the eyes of lenders.
DTI is calculated by dividing your total monthly debt payments by your gross monthly income. Your gross monthly income is your income before taxes or other deductions. Your total monthly debt payments include all of your monthly debt payments, such as mortgage or rent, car payments, credit card payments, and student loan payments.