How Much Loan Can You Afford?
Lenders decide what they'll approve; this calculator answers the better question — what you can afford. It works backwards from your take-home pay using the planner's rule that loan payments should stay within 10–15% of monthly take-home income.
Not sure what APR to expect? Our installment loan guide has realistic ranges by credit tier. Higher score = lower APR = more borrowing power at the same payment.
Why work backwards from income
Most loan trouble starts with a payment that fit on paper but not in real life. Approval amounts are set by lenders optimizing for their risk, not your budget — many will approve payments well beyond the 15% line. Anchoring to your own number first means every offer you compare afterward (use the payment calculator to test them) gets measured against a limit you chose deliberately.