A Red Margin Tool
How bad is your loan?
Getting approved means the lender thinks you'll probably pay them back. It does not mean the loan is a good deal — or that it fits your life.
Run the numbers
Your loan
1 / Loan type
2 / Borrower
3 / Loan details
—
overall score
Loan Reality Score
—
This tool is supposed to teach good habits, not congratulate you for getting an “average” bad loan.
Term risk
—
—
Budget pressure
—
—
Reserve strength
—
—
Rate context
—
—
—
—
Structure, purpose and whether the debt itself reflects good behavior.
—
—
Can your monthly cash flow and reserves actually support this without squeezing everything else?
Auto-loan term ladder
36
Best
48
Solid
60
Stretched
72
Too long
84+
Nope
—
—
—
—Housing + required debts ÷ gross monthly income
—How much of monthly take-home this new obligation consumes
—Estimated months of fixed outflows covered by remaining cash
The useful part
Make this loan less stupid
Not generic budgeting advice. These are the changes that would most improve the exact loan you entered.
Best next move
—
Why the score moved
What's hurting you
What's helping you
Market context
Educational tool only. Market benchmark reference data in this version was updated October 4, 2026. This is not a credit decision, lender quote, underwriting model, financial plan, or recommendation to borrow. Market benchmarks are broad national reference points. “Affordability” is a planning estimate, not a lender approval standard.