rough description of what i hacked together:
- it connects to accounts in read‑only mode.
- it remembers goals, life stage, and past conversations.
- it uses that memory to nudge you toward better decisions over time, instead of just saying “you spent 23% on restaurants last month”.
the moment it started to feel real for me was when the memory system clicked. it could reference things i’d said weeks before and give me insights i didn’t expect, and it actually changed how i felt about a couple of my decisions. that was the first time any personal finance tool felt more like a coach than another dashboard.
i wrote more about it as well here on linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7411827481483345920/
i also put up a simple landing page at https://usefinny.com, but the app itself is still in development and not on app store yet. this isn’t a launch; i’m trying to pressure‑test the idea and some assumptions before i ship a real beta.
a few things i’d really like to chat about-
- for you personally, what would an ai money coach have to do (or avoid doing) for you to still be using it a month later?
- does this feel like a real problem you’ve seen (either personally or with clients)? I’ve feel I’ve seen this problem a lot with people
- if you work in personal finance or coaching: what do tools like this usually get wrong about behavior change and trust?
blunt takes are very welcome. if this sounds doomed, i’d rather hear it now. if it sounds promising but i’m thinking about it the wrong way, i’d love to hear that too.
One thing I want to say is that its not that new grads, and genz doesn’t have money, its just that they make stupid decisions with what they have and buy what they don’t need (eg, expensive watches, concerts, sneakers, trips, clothes, and countless examples i've seen etc)
if a coach can remind me why I said I wanted to save for that trip while I’m tempted to blow $300 on shoes, that’s actual behavior change but it has to avoid being judgemental but still be strict about goals.
seems super cool, would love to try
Most people already know what to do. They know eating out less saves money. They know carrying a balance is bad. The problem isn’t knowledge, it’s that the consequences don’t feel real in the moment.
Money decisions are made by present-you and judged by future-you. Most tools talk to neither. If your real advantage is memory, then the product isn’t advice. It’s continuity. It’s reminding me that past-me cared about something and current-me is quietly changing the deal.
“Three months ago you said this mattered” is more powerful than any chart or benchmark. If you lean into that, this could be super interesting but pls don't blend into optimizations for consumer ai.
And I agree on your point that this isn’t about income but about impulse and right steps
Add market context to the coaching. Right now most finance apps show spending in isolation. But "should I invest?" is different when: - S&P is at ATH vs down 20% - Fed just raised rates vs cutting - Your industry is laying off vs hiring
A few data points that could make the coaching smarter: - Historical market returns (so "invest in index funds" has numbers behind it) - Inflation rate (to show why cash loses value) - Average savings rate by age bracket (peer comparison)
The "memory" system you built could remember their risk tolerance AND market conditions when they made past decisions, then reference both.