Mortgage Tools by Jenny

Use this when a user is partway through a Canadian mortgage term and asks whether to break the mortgage early (to refinance the same debt, switch lender or take a lower rate) or stay until the term ends. Compares keeping it with a user-supplied replacement offer, counting the lender-quoted penalty, such as an interest rate differential (IRD) or three months' interest. Shows cashflow payback separately from borrowing-cost crossover. Do not use to calculate or estimate a penalty: the lender must quote it, and an unknown penalty prevents an unconditional ranking. No cash-out or rate search.

Use this when a user asks about rolling other debts into a Canadian mortgage (debt consolidation), for example credit-card, car-loan or existing line-of-credit or HELOC balances, each entered with a fixed monthly payment or as interest-only. Compares three scenarios over a common horizon: keep the mortgage and debts, consolidate at the new minimum payment, and consolidate while keeping the same monthly repayment budget. Shows interest, debt left, fees and limits. Monthly mortgage payments only; 1 to 10 debts. Do not use for a new HELOC, additional cash-out or qualification: none is modeled.

Use this when a user has two or three Canadian mortgage offers for the same balance, such as a renewal letter from the current lender and a quote to switch lender at renewal, and wants them compared. Compares the user-supplied rates, terms, amortizations, cashback and switching costs over a common horizon. Returns payments, interest, debt left, modeled borrowing cost and missing facts. Do not use for leaving a mortgage before the term ends (use compare_break_or_stay). Does not search or predict rates, confirm qualification or recommend a lender. An unknown cost is never treated as zero.

Use this first when a user wants a Canadian mortgage renewal, extra-payment, break-or-stay or debt-consolidation comparison but has not yet given the key figures. From the facts already supplied, returns the missing ones in priority order and up to three questions to ask (balance, rate, remaining amortization, term, switching costs, lender-quoted penalty). Flags a request to borrow additional cash (cash-out refinance) as unsupported. Do not use when the figures are already supplied: call the matching calculator. Does not calculate, rank, check qualification or search rates.

Use this when a user asks how to prepare for or understand a supported Canadian mortgage topic and is not asking for a calculation: renewal, switching costs, unequal terms, payment versus cost, renewal checklist, prepayments, break or stay, debt consolidation, or the calculation method. Returns one short, dated preparation guide written for Ontario and reviewed by an Ontario mortgage agent, with its public source, review status and follow-up questions. Do not use for general financial, legal or tax advice, current rates, arbitrary URLs or live web search.

Use this when a user asks what paying extra on one Canadian mortgage would do: a higher regular payment, recurring extra payments, or up to 50 lump sums. Compares the supplied mortgage with and without the extras: interest, debt left and modeled payoff period. Checks the extras against prepayment-privilege limits only when the user supplies them; otherwise reports the limits as not checked. Do not use to find a prepayment penalty or the cost of breaking a mortgage: no tool calculates a penalty, the lender quotes it. Results beyond the term need explicit monthly continuation assumptions.