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Affordability Reality Check

Can I really afford this? Stress-test with surprises

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Learn more — how it works, FAQ & guide
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Affordability Reality Check — Stress-Tested

Banks approve you on best-case assumptions. This tool runs 4 surprise scenarios — job loss, rate hike, medical bill, partner income loss — and tells you how many months you\'d survive each.

How to use this tool

  1. 1

    Enter income + expense

    What you earn, what you owe today.

  2. 2

    Set the new commitment

    House, car, kid — monthly cost.

  3. 3

    Run stress test

    Job loss, rate hike, medical, divorce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why stress test?
A 30% mortgage-to-income ratio looks safe — until you lose your job for 6 months and rates jump 2%. Banks pre-approve based on rosy assumptions; you should plan for ugly ones.
What's the safe threshold?
After all surprises hit, you should still have ≥3 months emergency fund AND positive monthly cash flow. Anything tighter is gambling on luck.
How realistic are the surprises?
6-month job gap: 12% lifetime risk. Medical bill >$5K: 25% per decade. Rate +2%: happened 2022-23. Divorce: 35% of marriages. These aren't edge cases.

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100% Privacy. This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your data is never uploaded to any server.