credit-and-cost-controllisted

# Credit and Cost Control Forecast before spending, ceiling everything, and compare providers on cost per usable record rather than on price. ## When to use - Before any enrichment, research, or agent run at scale - The bill arrived larger than expected - Choosing between providers - Setting up access for a new user, which is the highest-risk moment ## Inputs - Needs from user: current balance, the run definition, provider pricing, and who has access to spending keys - Reads: `workspace/data/waterfall-spec.csv` ## Workflow ### 1. Run the pre-flight Every time. This is a hook-worthy checklist, meaning it should be enforced by the tool rather than remembered by a person. ``` [ ] Current balance checked and recorded [ ] Estimated cost of this run computed and stated out loud [ ] Free and known-field gate confirmed upstream of every paid column [ ] Row cap set on this run [ ] Enrich-only-empty-fields confirmed [ ] Deep or exhaustive research modes off unless explicitly approved [ ] Account-level ceiling configured and current [ ] Test at 5 rows completed and inspected ``` **If the estimate exceeds 20% of the remaining balance, stop and get a decision.** Do not proceed and report afterward. ### 2. Forecast the run ``` Rows after the gate n × expected cost per row from the waterfall arithmetic = estimated spend n ÷ expected usable records n = forecast cost per usable n ``` State all five numbers before starting. A forecast you did