number checks for simulator and fixed impacts to numbers.

src/components/CareerCoach.js

@@ -3,6 +3,21 @@ import authFetch from "../utils/authFetch.js";
 
 const isoToday = new Date().toISOString().slice(0,10);   // top-level helper
 
+function buildInterviewPrompt(careerName, jobDescription = "") {
+  return `
+You are an expert interviewer for the role **${careerName}**.
+Ask one challenging behavioural or technical question **specific to this career**,
+wait for the candidate's reply, then:
+
+  • Score the answer 1–5  
+  • Give concise feedback (1-2 sentences)  
+  • Ask the next question (up to 5 total)
+
+After 5 questions or if the user types "quit interview", end the session.
+
+Do NOT output milestones JSON.`;
+}
+
 /* ----------------------------------------------
    Hidden prompts for the quick-action buttons
    ---------------------------------------------- */
@@ -195,20 +210,37 @@ I'm here to support you with personalized coaching. What would you like to focus
   function triggerQuickAction(type) {
   if (loading) return;
 
-    // 1. Add a visible note for user *without* showing the raw system prompt
+  if (type === "interview") {
+    const career = scenarioRow?.career_name || "the target role";
+    const desc   = scenarioRow?.job_description || "";
+    const hiddenSystem = {
+      role: "system",
+      content: buildInterviewPrompt(career, desc)   // ← dynamic prompt
+    };
     const note = {
       role: "assistant",
       content:
-        type === "interview"
+        "Starting mock interview focused on **" + career + "**. Answer each question and I'll give feedback!"
-          ? "Starting mock interview! (answer each question and I’ll give feedback)"
+    };
-          : `Sure! Let me create a ${type === "networking" ? "Networking" : "Job-Search"} roadmap for you…`
+    const updated = [...messages, note, hiddenSystem];
+    setMessages([...messages, note]);
+    callAi(updated);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  /* networking / jobSearch unchanged */
+  const note = {
+    role: "assistant",
+    content:
+      type === "networking"
+        ? "Sure! Let me create a Networking roadmap for you…"
+        : "Sure! Let me create a Job-Search roadmap for you…"
   };
   const hiddenSystem = { role: "system", content: QUICK_PROMPTS[type] };
-
+  const updated = [...messages, note, hiddenSystem];
-    const updatedHistory = [...messages, note, hiddenSystem];
+  setMessages([...messages, note]);
-    setMessages([...messages, note]); // show only the friendly note
+  callAi(updated);
-    callAi(updatedHistory);
+}
-  }
 
   /* ------------ render ------------- */
   return (

src/utils/FinancialProjectionService.js

@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 import moment from 'moment';
 
+
+/** -------------------------------------------------
+ *  Utility: coerce ANY input to a safe number
+ *  - Empty string, null, undefined, NaN  →  0
+ *  - Valid numeric string                →  Number(value)
+ *  - Already-a-number                    →  Number(value)
+ *  Keeps everything finite so .toFixed() is safe
+ * -------------------------------------------------*/
+const n = (val, fallback = 0) => {
+  const num = Number(val);
+  return Number.isFinite(num) ? num : fallback;
+};
+
+const num = (v) =>
+  v === null || v === undefined || v === '' || Number.isNaN(+v) ? 0 : +v;
+
 /***************************************************
  * HELPER: Approx State Tax Rates
  ***************************************************/
@@ -89,65 +105,95 @@ export function simulateFinancialProjection(userProfile) {
   /***************************************************
    * 1) DESTRUCTURE USER PROFILE
    ***************************************************/
-  const {
+/* 1️⃣  Destructure exactly the same keys you already use …         */
-    // Basic incomes
+/*     but add an underscore so we can soon normalise each one.     */
-    currentSalary = 0,
+const {
-    monthlyExpenses = 0,
+  // Basic incomes ----------------------------------------------
-    monthlyDebtPayments = 0,
+  currentSalary:               _currentSalary               = 0,
-    partTimeIncome = 0,
+  monthlyExpenses:             _monthlyExpenses             = 0,
-    extraPayment = 0,
+  monthlyDebtPayments:         _monthlyDebtPayments         = 0,
+  partTimeIncome:              _partTimeIncome              = 0,
+  extraPayment:                _extraPayment                = 0,
 
-    // Student loan config
+  // Student-loan config ----------------------------------------
-    studentLoanAmount = 0,
+  studentLoanAmount:           _studentLoanAmount           = 0,
-    interestRate = 5,
+  interestRate:                _interestRate                = 5,
-    loanTerm = 10,
+  loanTerm:                    _loanTerm                    = 10,
   loanDeferralUntilGraduation                            = false,
 
-    // College config
+  // College ----------------------------------------------------
-    inCollege = false,  // <<==== user-provided
+  inCollege                                               = false,
   programType,
-    hoursCompleted = 0,
+  hoursCompleted:              _hoursCompleted              = 0,
-    creditHoursPerYear,
+  creditHoursPerYear:          _creditHoursPerYear,
-    calculatedTuition,
+  calculatedTuition:           _calculatedTuition,
   enrollmentDate,
   gradDate,
   startDate,
   academicCalendar                                         = 'monthly',
-    annualFinancialAid = 0,
+  annualFinancialAid:          _annualFinancialAid          = 0,
 
-    // Post-college salary
+  // Post-college salary ----------------------------------------
-    expectedSalary = 0,
+  expectedSalary:              _expectedSalary              = 0,
 
-    // Savings & monthly contributions
+  // Savings & contributions ------------------------------------
-    emergencySavings = 0,
+  emergencySavings:            _emergencySavings            = 0,
-    retirementSavings = 0,
+  retirementSavings:           _retirementSavings           = 0,
-    monthlyRetirementContribution = 0,
+  monthlyRetirementContribution:_monthlyRetirementContribution = 0,
-    monthlyEmergencyContribution = 0,
+  monthlyEmergencyContribution:_monthlyEmergencyContribution = 0,
 
-    // Surplus distribution
+  // Surplus distribution ---------------------------------------
-    surplusEmergencyAllocation = 50,
+  surplusEmergencyAllocation:  _surplusEmergencyAllocation  = 50,
-    surplusRetirementAllocation = 50,
+  surplusRetirementAllocation: _surplusRetirementAllocation = 50,
 
-    // Program length override
+  // Other -------------------------------------------------------
   programLength,
-
-    // State code
   stateCode                                                = 'GA',
-
-    // Financial milestone impacts
   milestoneImpacts                                         = [],
-
-    // Simulation duration
   simulationYears                                          = 20,
 
-    interestStrategy = 'NONE', // 'NONE' | 'FLAT' | 'MONTE_CARLO'
+  interestStrategy                                         = 'NONE',
-    flatAnnualRate = 0.06,     // 6% default if using FLAT
+  flatAnnualRate:             _flatAnnualRate              = 0.06,
-    monthlyReturnSamples = [], // if using historical-based random sampling
+  monthlyReturnSamples                                     = [],
-    randomRangeMin = -0.02,    // if using a random range approach
+  randomRangeMin:             _randomRangeMin              = -0.02,
-    randomRangeMax = 0.02,
+  randomRangeMax:             _randomRangeMax              = 0.02
+} = userProfile;
 
-  } = userProfile;
+/* 2️⃣  Immediately convert every money/percentage/count field to a real Number */
+const currentSalary                = num(_currentSalary);
+const monthlyExpenses              = num(_monthlyExpenses);
+const monthlyDebtPayments          = num(_monthlyDebtPayments);
+const partTimeIncome               = num(_partTimeIncome);
+const extraPayment                 = num(_extraPayment);
 
+const studentLoanAmount            = num(_studentLoanAmount);
+const interestRate                 = num(_interestRate);
+const loanTerm                     = num(_loanTerm);
+
+const hoursCompleted               = num(_hoursCompleted);
+const creditHoursPerYear           = num(_creditHoursPerYear);
+const calculatedTuition            = num(_calculatedTuition);
+const annualFinancialAid           = num(_annualFinancialAid);
+const expectedSalary               = num(_expectedSalary);
+
+const emergencySavings             = num(_emergencySavings);
+const retirementSavings            = num(_retirementSavings);
+const monthlyRetirementContribution= num(_monthlyRetirementContribution);
+const monthlyEmergencyContribution = num(_monthlyEmergencyContribution);
+
+const surplusEmergencyAllocation   = num(_surplusEmergencyAllocation);
+const surplusRetirementAllocation  = num(_surplusRetirementAllocation);
+
+const flatAnnualRate               = num(_flatAnnualRate);
+const randomRangeMin               = num(_randomRangeMin);
+const randomRangeMax               = num(_randomRangeMax);
+
+/* -------------------------------------------------
+ *  Use the “…Safe” variables below instead of the
+ *  raw ones whenever you’ll call .toFixed() or do
+ *  arithmetic.  All names are preserved; only the
+ *  “Safe” suffix distinguishes the sanitized values.
+ * -------------------------------------------------*/
 
   /***************************************************
  * HELPER: Retirement Interest Rate
@@ -325,40 +371,40 @@ for (let monthIndex = 0; monthIndex < maxMonths; monthIndex++) {
     }
 
     /************************************************
-     * 7.3 MILESTONE IMPACTS
+ * 7.3 MILESTONE IMPACTS  – strict number handling
  ************************************************/
-    let extraImpactsThisMonth = 0;
+let extraImpactsThisMonth = 0;
-    milestoneImpacts.forEach((impact) => {
+
-      const startDateClamped = moment(impact.start_date).startOf('month');
+milestoneImpacts.forEach((rawImpact) => {
+  /* --- safety / coercion ------------------------------------------------ */
+  const amount    = Number(rawImpact.amount) || 0;                        // ← always a number
+  const type      = (rawImpact.impact_type || 'MONTHLY').toUpperCase();   // 'ONE_TIME' | 'MONTHLY'
+  const direction = (rawImpact.direction   || 'subtract').toLowerCase();  // 'add' | 'subtract'
+
+  /* --- date math -------------------------------------------------------- */
+  const startDateClamped = moment(rawImpact.start_date).startOf('month');
   let   startOffset      = startDateClamped.diff(scenarioStartClamped, 'months');
   if (startOffset < 0) startOffset = 0;
 
   let   endOffset = Infinity;
-      if (impact.end_date && impact.end_date.trim() !== '') {
+  if (rawImpact.end_date && rawImpact.end_date.trim() !== '') {
-        const endDateClamped = moment(impact.end_date).startOf('month');
+    const endDateClamped = moment(rawImpact.end_date).startOf('month');
     endOffset = endDateClamped.diff(scenarioStartClamped, 'months');
     if (endOffset < 0) endOffset = 0;
   }
 
-      if (impact.impact_type === 'ONE_TIME') {
+  /* --- apply impact ----------------------------------------------------- */
-        if (monthIndex === startOffset) {
+  const applyAmount = (dir) =>
-          if (impact.direction === 'add') {
+    dir === 'add' ? (baseMonthlyIncome += amount) : (extraImpactsThisMonth += amount);
-            baseMonthlyIncome += impact.amount;
+
+  if (type === 'ONE_TIME') {
+    if (monthIndex === startOffset) applyAmount(direction);
   } else {
-            extraImpactsThisMonth += impact.amount;
+    // MONTHLY (or anything else) – apply for the whole span
+    if (monthIndex >= startOffset && monthIndex <= endOffset) applyAmount(direction);
   }
-        }
+});
-      } else {
+
-        // 'MONTHLY'
-        if (monthIndex >= startOffset && monthIndex <= endOffset) {
-          if (impact.direction === 'add') {
-            baseMonthlyIncome += impact.amount;
-          } else {
-            extraImpactsThisMonth += impact.amount;
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    });
 
     /************************************************
      * 7.4 CALCULATE TAXES