Transparency
Methodology & editorial standards
Every number on this site should be reproducible. This page documents the formulas we use, where the rates come from, how often we review them and what the calculators deliberately do not model.
Our principles
- Independence. We are not a bank, brokerage, lender or insurer. Nobody pays to appear on this site, and no calculator result steers you to a product.
- Official sources only. Rates come from the CRA, Revenu Québec, provincial finance ministries, OSFI, CMHC and Service Canada — never from third-party summaries alone. They are listed on our External Sources page.
- Privacy by design. Calculations run entirely in your browser. Saved scenarios live in your device's local storage; we never receive them. See the Privacy Policy.
- Advertising is separate from content. Ad placements are clearly marked and never influence a calculation, a guide or a recommendation.
How each calculation works
Mortgage payments
Canadian fixed-rate mortgages compound semi-annually, not monthly. We convert the nominal annual rate to an effective semi-annual rate, then to the payment frequency, before applying the standard amortization formula. Variable-rate products compound monthly and are modelled separately.
Mortgage affordability
We apply Gross Debt Service (39%) and Total Debt Service (44%) ceilings to gross monthly income, qualify at the greater of the contract rate plus two points or 5.25%, estimate property tax at 1% of value, then solve iteratively for the highest price your down payment legally supports — including the CMHC premium and the $1.5M insured price cap.
Land transfer tax
Each province's marginal tier table is applied to the purchase price, with the Toronto municipal land transfer tax layered on where selected, and first-time buyer rebates capped at their statutory maximums.
Income tax and take-home pay
Federal and provincial brackets for the 2026 tax year are applied marginally. Basic personal amounts are treated as non-refundable credits at the lowest bracket rate, not deductions. CPP (including the second earnings ceiling, CPP2) and EI are calculated to their annual maximums, and the Quebec federal abatement of 16.5% is applied for Quebec residents.
CPP & OAS estimates
Retirement estimates scale the current maximum CPP benefit by your contributory history and apply the actuarial adjustment for starting before or after 65 (−0.6%/month early, +0.7%/month deferred). OAS reflects residency years, the 10% increase at 75 and the recovery-tax threshold.
Registered accounts and debt
TFSA and RRSP projections compound at the rate and frequency you enter, with no fees assumed. RRSP refunds are computed as the actual difference in combined federal and provincial tax between your gross income and income after the contribution. Debt payoff amortizes the balance at the stated annual rate with monthly compounding.
Review schedule
Rates are reviewed for each tax year when federal and provincial budgets and CRA indexation factors are published, and again mid-year when a province changes a rate in-year. The current tables are reviewed for the 2026 tax year.
Known limitations
- Surtaxes, health premiums and low-income reductions in some provinces are simplified.
- Credits beyond the basic personal amount (tuition, medical, dependants) are not modelled.
- Investment projections assume a constant return and ignore fees, taxes on non-registered gains and inflation unless stated.
- Lender policies vary; a broker or lender may qualify you for more or less than our affordability estimate.
Spotted something wrong? Tell us — corrections are published quickly and we credit the tip if you want us to.