diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index ef112e0e..da36b91c 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -2,6 +2,17 @@
 
 This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with code in this repository.
 
+## ⚖️ Governance: AGENTS.md v16.0 Strategic Principles
+
+**All work — code changes, refactors, new features, tooling — must follow AGENTS.md v16.0 guidelines:**
+
+- **13 Decision Criteria:** SOLID, complexity, data integrity, necessity-driven, normalization, simplicity, patterns, guardrails, traceability, reliability, maturity, right-way, tech debt
+- **Work Checklist:** Every task must self-assess against 13-item decision framework before implementation
+- **Anti-Patterns (Blockers):** Never gold-plate, never skip testing, never SELECT *, never magic numbers, never direct module-to-module table access
+- **Tech Debt:** Recorded in registry with Impact/Effort; 20% quarterly paydown target
+
+**Reference:** See `AGENTS.md` section "v16.0 Strategic Architecture & Engineering Excellence" for full framework.
+
 ## Project Overview
 
 **K-ArtSell Aegis v16.0** is a complex financial/investment advisory system built on a **Modular Monolith** with **Vertical Slice** architecture. It enforces strict execution completeness, evidence preservation, and controlled model operations—not production-ready until all validation gates (252+ trading days shadow, OOS testing, PBO/DSR verification) pass.
@@ -390,33 +401,56 @@ pnpm exec playwright test --headed  # Run with browser UI
 
 ## Guardrails & Anti-Patterns
 
-### Coding Standards (from VIBE_CODING_GUARDRAILS.md)
+### ✅ Work Decision Checklist (from AGENTS.md v16.0)
 
-**Before requesting code changes, ensure these 8 inputs are present:**
-1. **Source:** Reference policy, ADR, data contract, requirement ID
-2. **Slice Spec:** User goal, non-goal, state transitions, RBAC
-3. **Screen Spec:** Component tree, state management, a11y
-4. **Contract:** Endpoint paths, event schemas, HTTP status codes, ETag/idempotency handling
-5. **Data:** Schema, columns, PIT conditions, migration, index plan
-6. **Tests:** Unit/integration/data/E2E/Golden scenarios + failure cases
-7. **Ops:** Metrics, alerts, runbooks, rollback procedure, on-call owner
-8. **Output Rule:** Changed files, commands to verify, assumptions, residual risks
+Before writing code, verify:
 
-### Blocking Rules
-- **No undocumented policy IDs or thresholds.** Every numeric constant must trace to a requirement.
-- **Pending decisions:** Mark with `DECISION_REQUIRED` or `DESIGN_PROPOSAL` comment.
-- **One PR = one slice or one refactoring goal.** No mixing feature work + unrelated cleanup.
-- **Feature changes ≠ refactoring.** Separate PRs: feature, then refactoring, then verify.
-- **Never hide failing/skipped tests.** If a test fails, fix it or raise an issue.
-- **SQL review:** Generated SQL must pass schema owner review, PIT validation, index analysis.
-- **Algorithm changes:** Never merge without Golden/Frozen OOS diff showing no regression.
-- **Real customer data:** Never include in prompts, fixtures, or logs.
+- [ ] **SOLID:** Single responsibility? Dependency inversion? Substitutable abstractions?
+- [ ] **Complexity:** Cyclomatic complexity ≤ 10 per method? (Policy exceptions allowed)
+- [ ] **Audit:** Evidence/Revision tracked? PIT query present? `published_at <= cutoff`?
+- [ ] **Necessity:** Grounded in requirement/ADR/issue? Not "might need later"?
+- [ ] **Normalization:** Writes are 3NF + append + revision? Reads use denormalized projections?
+- [ ] **Simplicity:** Top→bottom readability? No hidden assumptions? No magic values?
+- [ ] **Pattern:** Follows Vertical Slice / Job / Component standard? Approved contract?
+- [ ] **Guardrails:** Source/Assumption/Decision documented? AI decisions traced?
+- [ ] **Traceability:** Artifact preserved? Reproducible? Linked to ADR/Issue/Debt ID?
+- [ ] **Safety:** Idempotent? Rollback-safe? Failure modes handled? No partial success?
+- [ ] **Maturity:** Contract/schema/test BEFORE implementation? No placeholders merged?
+- [ ] **Right Way:** No shortcuts (--no-verify, force push)? Root cause fixed? Code reviewed?
+- [ ] **Debt:** Tech debt registered with ID? Paydown target met? No new unbounded debt?
+
+### AI Input Packet (from VIBE_CODING_GUARDRAILS.md)
+
+**Before requesting code from Claude, provide all 8:**
+
+1. **Source:** Policy ID, ADR, requirement, data contract, reference implementation
+2. **Slice Spec:** User goal, non-goal, state transitions, RBAC constraints
+3. **Screen Spec:** Component tree, state ownership, a11y requirements
+4. **Contract:** Endpoint path/verb, event schema, status codes, idempotency, ETag handling
+5. **Data:** Schema (3NF write model), columns, PIT conditions, migration strategy, index plan
+6. **Tests:** Unit/integration/data/E2E/Golden scenarios, failure cases, replay scenarios
+7. **Ops:** Metrics, alerts, runbook, rollback procedure, owner/secondary
+8. **Output Rule:** Changed files, verification commands, assumptions, residual risks
+
+### Blocking Rules (Non-Negotiable)
+
+- ❌ **No gold-plating:** Every line must serve a requirement. "Might need later" is debt, not code.
+- ❌ **No undocumented magic:** Policy IDs, thresholds, DB columns must trace to approved source.
+- ❌ **No mixed concerns:** One PR = one Vertical Slice or one refactoring goal. Never both.
+- ❌ **No skipped tests:** Failing/skipped tests must be fixed or logged as DECISION_REQUIRED.
+- ❌ **No SELECT \*:** Always explicit columns. Dapper + schema-qualified SQL only.
+- ❌ **No direct cross-module queries:** Use approved contracts and read models only.
+- ❌ **No DateTime.Now:** Inject IClock. No random/network/system time in Policy.
+- ❌ **No partial success:** DB state must be consistent after success/failure. No "kind of failed".
+- ❌ **No policy in Job:** Jobs execute Commands, not make decisions. Decisions stay in Domain.
+- ❌ **No real customer data in code:** Never in prompt, fixture, log, trace, or test.
 
 ### Model Operations Specifics
-- **Model lifecycle:** Freeze → Mature → Score → Diagnose → Hypothesis → Challenger → Validate → Review → Manual Activation. No auto-learning, auto-promotion, or auto-ordering.
-- **Sell priority:** `HARD_IMPAIRMENT → PORTFOLIO_SURVIVAL → DYNAMIC_PROFIT_FLOOR → CONCENTRATION/LIQUIDITY → OPPORTUNITY_COST → REENTRY_OPTION` (immutable).
+
+- **Model lifecycle:** Freeze → Mature → Score → Diagnose → Hypothesis → Challenger → Validate → Review → Manual Activation (no auto-learning, auto-promotion, auto-ordering).
+- **Sell priority (immutable):** `HARD_IMPAIRMENT → PORTFOLIO_SURVIVAL → DYNAMIC_PROFIT_FLOOR → CONCENTRATION/LIQUIDITY → OPPORTUNITY_COST → REENTRY_OPTION`.
 - **Non-value-loss sell:** Requires ReentryWatch, new CycleId/Lot, step intervals, expiry, dedup.
-- **Activation gating:** Every model activation requires ModelCard, OOS/PBO/DSR evidence, maker-checker approval, effective_at timestamp, rollback justification.
+- **Activation gating:** Requires ModelCard, OOS/PBO/DSR evidence, maker-checker approval, effective_at, rollback justification.
 
 ## Tools & Scripts
 
@@ -455,14 +489,57 @@ contracts/
   metrics/          # Outcome metrics schema
 ```
 
+## Tech Debt Management (from AGENTS.md v16.0)
+
+Every suppressed rule, deferred refactor, and architectural compromise is debt. **Manage proactively:**
+
+### Tech Debt Registry
+
+Location: `TECH_DEBT_REGISTER.md` (to be created in PR 4)
+
+Format:
+```
+| ID | Category | Impact | Effort | Status | Debt | Owner | Notes |
+|----|----------|--------|--------|--------|------|-------|-------|
+| DEBT-001 | Code Analysis (CA1822) | Medium | Low | Backlog | Static method hints | Team | Can batch with refactor |
+| DEBT-002 | Code Analysis (CA1873) | Low | Low | Backlog | Array allocation in logs | Team | Remove when performance-critical |
+```
+
+**Impact/Effort Matrix:**
+- **High Impact / Low Effort:** Sprint ASAP (quick wins)
+- **High Impact / High Effort:** Roadmap (quarterly sprint)
+- **Low Impact / Low Effort:** Batch with feature work
+- **Low Impact / High Effort:** Monitor; defer unless blocking
+
+### Current Debt (Provisional)
+
+From `Directory.Build.props` NoWarn:
+- `CA1822` (static method hints) — Low priority, batch during refactors
+- `CA1873` (array allocation in logging) — Monitor, low impact
+- `CA1305` (culture-specific formatting) — Accept as-is for Serilog
+- `CA1707` (test naming convention) — xUnit uses underscores; accept
+- `CA1861` (static readonly arrays) — Low priority, batch
+- `xUnit2031` (Assert.Single filter) — Test analyzer; can defer
+
+### Paydown Target
+
+**Quarterly paydown goal:** 20% of debt list resolved (by impact, not count).
+
+Track in:
+- Sprint retrospectives
+- PR descriptions (reference Debt ID when resolving)
+- README.md status section
+
+---
+
 ## Validation Gates (Not Yet Passed)
 
 Do NOT claim production readiness until:
-- `.NET 10 restore/build/test` on CI passes consistently
-- `pnpm frozen install/typecheck/Vitest/build/Playwright` on CI passes
-- PostgreSQL DbUp fresh/upgrade/re-run/failure-recovery tests pass
-- Outbox/Inbox crash-recovery & audit reconciliation rehearsal passes
-- 252+ trading-day shadow run with OOS at multiple market phases
-- PBO (probability of backtest overfit) and DSR (daily sharpe ratio) evidence
+- ✅ `.NET 10 restore/build/test` on CI passes consistently
+- ⏳ `pnpm frozen install/typecheck/Vitest/build/Playwright` on CI passes (pending PR 4)
+- ⏳ PostgreSQL DbUp fresh/upgrade/re-run/failure-recovery tests pass (pending PR 5)
+- ⏳ Outbox/Inbox crash-recovery & audit reconciliation rehearsal passes
+- ❌ 252+ trading-day shadow run with OOS at multiple market phases
+- ❌ PBO (probability of backtest overfit) and DSR (daily sharpe ratio) evidence
 
 Before all gates pass: **No production deployment, no advisory-with-automation, no auto-ordering, no auto-model-promotion.**