FT FinToolSuite

Mortgage Planning

Debt Payments and Mortgage DTI Impact

See how monthly debts already claim part of your income, how that affects DTI and stress outcomes, and how to compare two debt levels safely with simple examples.

Published: January 1, 2026 · Updated: January 1, 2026 · By FinToolSuite Editorial

Open the stress tester

Add your monthly debts, run a scenario, and compare a higher-debt case.

Try the Mortgage Stress Tester

Disclaimer

  • Educational only. Examples are illustrative. No guarantees.

Why debts matter

Debts are monthly claims on income. Higher debts raise DTI, which can lower the recommended safe loan and widen stress tails.

Example comparisons

Low debt: $200/month debts. DTI mid stays lower, safe loan may be higher.

Higher debt: $600/month debts. DTI mid and tail rise; safe loan can drop.

Try both in the tool

How to compare

Keep income and housing costs the same. Change only debts between two scenarios, rerun, and compare outputs.

FAQs

Should I round debts?

Conservative rounding (slightly up) can keep scenarios cautious.

Do I remove debts if they end soon?

You can test a future scenario with debts gone, but label it clearly.

Where is privacy info?

See Privacy Policy.

Model your debts

Open the mortgage affordability stress tester, enter your debts, and compare a higher-debt scenario to see sensitivity.

Open the stress tester