{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.debt-to-income-ratio","code":"thing-q5248585","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q5248585/","name":"debt-to-income ratio","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.3","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Cross-cutting context","entryKind":"thing","plane":"XCT","domain":["XCT.REL"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A ratio used in lending that compares a borrower recurring monthly debt payments, or in some definitions total debt, with gross monthly income, expressed as a percentage; lenders and regulators use it to judge affordability of mortgages and other loans, with limits that vary by country, lender and product.","purpose":"Let an agent explain how the debt-to-income ratio is defined and calculated, relay typical limits and regulatory uses in general terms, distinguish it from loan-to-value and debt-service ratios, and route personal borrowing decisions to licensed advisers.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Ratio of debt to income","Payment-based or stock-based definitions","Used by lenders and macroprudential regulators","Limits vary by jurisdiction"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"define","name":"Define","description":"What the ratio is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definitions.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"How is the ratio defined and calculated, and which debts and income count?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the user asking whether they can afford a loan, which needs a licensed adviser?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"related","name":"Related","description":"Related ratios.","findings":[{"id":"related-finding","name":"Related","description":"Related.","questions":[{"text":"How does it differ from loan-to-value, loan-to-income and debt-service ratios?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the related ratio?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"use","name":"Use","description":"Lending use.","layers":[{"id":"lenders","name":"Lenders","description":"Lender limits.","findings":[{"id":"lenders-finding","name":"Lenders","description":"Lenders.","questions":[{"text":"What limits do lenders typically apply, and how do they vary by product?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources give current limits?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"regulators","name":"Regulators","description":"Regulatory use.","findings":[{"id":"regulators-finding","name":"Regulators","description":"Regulators.","questions":[{"text":"How do regulators use income-based limits for financial stability?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits macroprudential policy?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"interpret","name":"Interpret","description":"Interpretation and limits.","layers":[{"id":"meaning","name":"Meaning","description":"What it shows.","findings":[{"id":"meaning-finding","name":"Meaning","description":"Meaning.","questions":[{"text":"What does the ratio show and not show about affordability?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"macro","name":"Macro","description":"Household debt.","findings":[{"id":"macro-finding","name":"Macro","description":"Macro.","questions":[{"text":"How is household debt-to-income measured at national level, and where is it published?","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"History and debate.","layers":[{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","findings":[{"id":"history-finding","name":"History","description":"History.","questions":[{"text":"How did income-based lending limits develop, especially after the 2008 crisis?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits mortgage regulation?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"debate","name":"Debate","description":"Debates.","findings":[{"id":"debate-finding","name":"Debate","description":"Debate.","questions":[{"text":"What debates exist about income limits and access to housing, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation neutral?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Compute a debt-to-income ratio from figures a person has supplied, stating which definition is used.","Explain how lenders and regulators use the ratio and its limits."],"mustNot":["Give personal advice on whether to borrow or which loan to take.","Compare ratios calculated under different definitions as if they were the same.","Treat a passing ratio as proof that a loan is affordable.","Use a person's income or debt data for anything beyond the calculation they asked for."],"requiresHuman":["Deciding to grant or refuse credit on the basis of the ratio."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["The ratio gates access to housing and credit and can shut out people with irregular incomes.","Income and debt figures are sensitive personal data."],"affectedParties":["Borrowers","Lenders","Households"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns the measure; lenders apply it and financial regulators may set limits.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q111949165","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"Q22915325","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"leverage ratio","type":"related","note":"a financial ratio"},{"target":"mortgage lending","type":"related","note":"affordability assessment"},{"target":"loan-to-value ratio","type":"related","note":"a different measure"},{"target":"financial regulator","type":"related","note":"macroprudential limits"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.debt-to-income-ratio","Wikidata: Q5248585 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5248585)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":["common mortgage limits: about 36-45 percent - payment-based ratio; varies by lender and country","macroprudential caps: multiples of annual income, about 3.5-5 ratio - in some countries"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Debt payments or total debt divided by income","Used in affordability assessments","Loan-to-value compares loan with property value; debt-service ratios include different payments","Not visible; a percentage on a loan application."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain the definitions and calculation","relay typical limits and regulatory uses","distinguish it from related ratios","route personal borrowing questions to advisers"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Comparing ratios with different definitions","Overborrowing despite passing the ratio","Agents giving personal financial advice"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Mortgage lending rules and affordability assessments","Macroprudential loan-to-income limits in some countries","Consumer credit law on responsible lending"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Judging whether a borrower can afford repayments.","payment-based debt-to-income ratio","stock-based debt-to-income or loan-to-income ratio","front-end and back-end ratios in US mortgage lending","regulatory loan-to-income caps","household debt-to-income at the macro level"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q5248585: debt-to-income ratio","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5248585","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Debt-to-income ratio","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt-to-income_ratio","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should loan-to-income caps be a separate entry?","How should regulatory rules be linked by country?","How should definitions be recorded per lender?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q5248585/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q5248585/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-12T20:28:17Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:52:00+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane XCT: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}