Last updated: 2026 assumptions reviewed. Assumptions & sources
Tools & Resources

Financial Health Scorecard

Five areas. One score. A clear picture of where you stand, and what to work on first. Takes about three minutes.

Five areas, one score
GivingSavingDebtHousingEmergency fund
Each area is scored one to five. The lowest of the five is where to start, and the scorecard gives you the next move for it.

Your Numbers

Use rough numbers. Within about 10% is close enough for a snapshot like this one.

A one-tap starting point. Adjust anything below.
1 Giving
$
$
2 Saving & Investing
$
Include RRSP, TFSA, FHSA contributions, emergency fund additions, and non-registered investments.
3 Debt
$
Credit cards, car loans, lines of credit, student loans. Exclude mortgage. Scored against your monthly gross income, about $7,083 a month.
4 Housing
$
Rent or mortgage + property tax + heating.
5 Emergency Fund
$
$
Housing + food + transport + utilities + insurance + minimum debt payments.

Your numbers stay in this browser so they are here when you come back. Start over clears them.

Your Financial Health Score

Enter your numbers above and your score appears here, along with the one area to start on.

Go Deeper on Each Area
Tithe Calculator Canadian Tax Calculator Debt Payoff Calculator Emergency Fund Calculator Net Worth Calculator Full Stewardship Quiz

If the number stings, start with the money shame men carry alone. If debt is your lowest area, the Canadian debt payoff guide walks the whole path. If giving is the low number, generosity beyond the tithe picks up where the tithe stops.

How Scoring Works

Each of the five areas is scored 1-5. Total score out of 25.

Giving (1-5)
Your giving as a share of gross income. 10% or more scores 5, then 7%, 5% and 2%. Under 2% scores 1.
Saving (1-5)
Your savings rate on gross income. 15% or more scores 5, then 10%, 5% and 2%.
Debt (1-5)
Consumer debt measured in months of gross income. A zero balance scores 5, then one month, three months and six months. Interest rate stays out of it, so a 0% car loan and a 21.99% card of the same size score alike.
Housing (1-5)
Housing cost as a share of gross income. 25% or under scores 5, then 30%, 35% and 42%.
Emergency Fund (1-5)
Months of essential expenses covered. Six months scores 5, then three months, one month and a quarter of a month.

Every area scores at least 1, so the lowest possible total is 5.

Use it as a compass

The goal is wisdom, worked out in the season you are actually in. Use the five areas to see what needs attention this year, then put your energy into the lowest one before you touch the others.

Your Four Tiers

Faithful & Fruitful
20-25 points
Gaining Ground
14-19 points
Building the Foundation
8-13 points
Just Getting Started
5-7 points

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good financial health score?

On this scorecard 20 to 25 is Faithful and Fruitful, 14 to 19 is Gaining Ground, 8 to 13 is Building the Foundation, and 5 to 7 is Just Getting Started. Five is the floor, because every area scores at least one point. Read your lowest area before you read the total, since that is the area that sets your next decision. The total is how you check, 90 days later, whether the decision worked.

How is each of the five areas scored?

Giving, as a share of gross income: 10% or more scores 5, 7% scores 4, 5% scores 3, 2% scores 2, and under 2% scores 1. Saving and investing, on the same gross income: 15% or more scores 5, then 10%, 5% and 2%. Debt: a zero consumer balance scores 5, up to one month of gross income scores 4, up to three months scores 3, up to six months scores 2, and anything beyond that scores 1. Housing: 25% or under of gross income scores 5, then 30%, 35% and 42%. Emergency fund: six months of essential expenses scores 5, then three months, one month, and a quarter of a month.

How much of my income should go to housing in Canada?

The long-standing guideline is 30% of gross income, and this scorecard gives full marks at 25% or under. Lenders work to two limits when they qualify you: gross debt service at 39% of gross income for housing costs, and total debt service at 44% once every other debt payment is counted. A household paying 45% of gross income for housing sits past both lines, which is why the scorecard scores that 1. Rent in much of Ontario makes 25% impossible for a season. Build the other four areas while you wait for the renewal or the move that brings housing down.

What savings rate should a Canadian household aim for?

15% of gross income earns full marks here, counting RRSP, TFSA and FHSA contributions, emergency fund transfers and non-registered investing. If 15% is out of reach this year, start at 2% and add one point with every pay increase. For 2026 the TFSA annual limit is $7,000 and RRSP room is 18% of earned income up to $33,810, so room in the accounts is rarely the constraint.

How many months of expenses should my emergency fund cover?

Three months of essential expenses is the working minimum and six months earns full marks. Essential means housing, food, transport, utilities, insurance and minimum debt payments. Leave the restaurants and the subscriptions out of that number. Employment Insurance replaces 55% of insurable earnings and 2026 caps insurable earnings at $68,900, which puts the maximum benefit near $728 a week before tax, so a single income household should aim at six months. Start with $1,000 in a high interest savings account and build from there.

Should I tithe on gross or net income?

This scorecard measures giving against gross income, which is the harder standard and the one Wise and Faithful works from. The first fruits in Scripture came off the top of the harvest, before anything else was allocated. On an $85,000 income, 10% of gross is $8,500 a year, about $708 a month. Faithful Christians land in different places on this question, and a man giving 10% of his take-home pay is giving faithfully. The tithe calculator runs both numbers so you can see the gap before you decide.

Do I have to give my email to see my score?

No. The total, the tier and your lowest area are free and need nothing from you. The full breakdown adds your score in each of the five areas, the one next step for your result, a passage of Scripture, and reading chosen for where you are, and that part asks for an email. It also puts you on the Wise and Faithful list, which you can leave at any time.