Source hierarchy

1. Government and regulator pages
Canada.ca, Ontario.ca, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, and the Ontario Energy Board are preferred for program rules, legal dates, public rates, and consumer guidance.
2. Documents that apply to the user
An employer policy, mortgage offer, lease notice, insurance quote, or utility bill can be more relevant than a general default. The calculators ask for these real numbers where practical.
3. Clearly labelled estimates
Where no dependable public benchmark exists, the site uses an editable planning value and labels it as rough. The Ontario utility checker is the clearest example.

Formula principles

  • Formulas are written in plain JavaScript and run in the visitor's browser.
  • Public assumptions are kept in data/assumptions.js instead of being buried throughout the calculation code.
  • Money is displayed in Canadian dollars, but rounding in the report can hide cents used internally.
  • Scenario comparisons use the same entered facts wherever possible so the changed assumption is visible.
  • Validation blocks missing, impossible, or non-numeric inputs before a report is shown.

Review process

A page review checks the formula, current public assumptions, linked sources, validation, mobile layout, print output, internal links, and disclaimer. A last-reviewed date means that process was performed; it does not mean a government agency or regulated professional approved the page.

Time-sensitive inputs should be checked after a government announcement and on a scheduled basis. Annual EI maximums and Ontario rent guidelines deserve at least annual review. Temporary EI measures must be reviewed before their stated end date.

Known limits

These are planning tools, not eligibility or approval systems. They cannot see an employment record, mortgage contract, tenancy evidence, driving history, meter data, tax return, or household circumstances that were not entered. A clean-looking result is not proof that a transaction, benefit, notice, or budget is correct.

Quebec parental benefits follow a separate provincial program. Ontario tenancy rules can turn on facts and exemptions. Mortgage offers can differ in prepayment terms and fees. Utility comparisons change by season, home, municipality, and rate plan.

Corrections

Send corrections to hello@reallifemoneytools.ca. Include the page URL, the disputed value or wording, and a primary source when available. Material corrections should update the affected assumption, page copy, and review date together.

Privacy and measurement

Calculator inputs are processed in the browser. Optional analytics, when configured, loads only after consent and records action names rather than entered values. Saved-scenario hashes are removed from measured page URLs. See the privacy page for the current status.