Wealthfront Path: free financial planning
I’m deeply nostalgic about my Wealthfront days, and this project in particular. I still consider it the most meaningful work I’ve ever done. While I pride myself on versatility and empathy, there’s nothing quite like designing an experience for which you are the target audience. This case study is a long one, so buckle in!
Background
Wealthfront was founded with a bold mission: to make sophisticated financial advice accessible to everyone. In 2018, we launched Path—a free financial planning experience—which helped us achieve the highest iOS rating in the finance category that year (4.9*). Why did we build this? Every month, thousands of ambitious young users eager for financial freedom downloaded the Wealthfront app. Yet, many did not open an investment account. To earn their trust and loyalty, we needed to go further—delivering something beautiful, useful, and genuinely valuable at no cost.
Design challenges
My team found that creating an exceptional financial planning experience hinged on capturing a complete, accurate picture of each user’s net worth—alongside realistic projections for how it might grow over time, accounting for changes in income, saving, spending, inflation, and more. The assumptions and variables seemed endless, and we had to contend with users’ natural inclination to idealize the future.
Throughout the project, I focused on identifying the best moments to prompt users to link their external accounts, providing us with a true view of their net worth. This wasn’t easy, as security requirements meant links often timed out, and reconnecting was tedious for users. I used creative approaches to keep these requests fresh and relevant, encouraging users to stay engaged.
Another challenge was explaining the assumptions behind our projections in simple, accessible language within the constraints of a mobile app. To build trust and credibility, users needed to understand how factors like inflation and common spending patterns might influence their future, empowering them to make predictions about their own behavior.
Finally, personal finance is a complex web that spans a lifetime. Choices made today—like a major purchase or time away from work—can have lasting ripple effects on future goals. My job was to help users grasp the potential impact of each decision and understand its broader significance at a glance.
When can I retire?
The retirement goal provided a clear picture of when they could retire based on assumptions about income growth, spending habits, inflation, and more. My mission was to make it easy for users to see whether they were on or off track—and how different choices could impact their long-term financial security. I aimed to help users imagine their future lifestyle while gradually revealing how our projections factored in key financial assumptions.
“On track to retire… you’ll only need $8M”
Through research, we learned that our users’ primary question was, “Am I on track or off track?” I positioned this question front and center, using their natural language to deliver an immediate answer. At a glance, users saw the status of their retirement plan, while evocative imagery invited them to imagine their future:
“You got this! You can spend $19,180/mo from age 63–100… You’ll even have $3.0M left at 100. You might treat yourself, leave a fortune to family, or donate it to a cause you love.”
“Retiring at 50 is a stretch… you’ll need $8M”
When users’ goals weren’t feasible, I focused on delivering the news with clarity and empathy. The “you’ll have/you’ll need/you’ll only need” structure provided a straightforward and actionable framework. Instead of discouraging users, the goal was to help them understand their options and potential tradeoffs to make their dream retirement achievable.
Linking moments
I also used these moments as opportunities to prompt users to review their data. For example:
“Numbers look wrong? Make sure you’ve linked all your accounts.”
“How we calculate your future spending”
Collaborating closely with our data science team, I developed a concise, transparent explanation of how our model calculates future spending. This was essential for building trust and guiding users confidently through their planning journey.
“Total future spending: $11,060/m””
Estimating future spending in retirement is challenging, especially for younger users. To make this easier, I created a framework that calculated a spending range based on our models, inflation, and users’ current spending patterns. Users could choose from simple, relatable options that helped them predict their future habits, with accessible language explaining each spending style.
Thrifty
“For some, less is more. You may want to pass along wealth to future generations or live simply. Your spending in retirement is likely to decrease more than most people like you…”Moderate
“You might downsize after the kids move out and pursue lifelong passions. Your retirement spending will likely decrease at about the same rate as most people like you…”Spendy
“For some, retirement means living large. Whether due to medical needs or a taste for finer things, your spending may decrease less than most, or even increase.”
Yes, I coined a new term—“Spendy”— and our users loved it.
How long can I take off?
The time-off goal helped users to explore different travel scenarios and instantly see the financial impact of taking a break from work. As a seasoned nomad, I led the direction for this feature, crafting an experience that was both evocative and practical. By gathering data from tourism sites and forums, I ensured users could dream big while understanding the financial details, such as housing expenses or changes in income during their time away.
“This scenario… for 6 months… is comfortable”
To make planning intuitive, I worked with my design partners to create a simple, relatable affordability scale for each scenario, ranking them as “comfortable,” “manageable,” or “a stretch.” This helped users build a mental model of how their travel plans fit within their overall financial picture. We later applied the framework across other goals, including retirement and home buying.
“How will I fund this?”
For users to feel confident in their plans, I wrote copy that started with practical advice—like using cash reserves first—while providing reassurance that we accounted for all relevant expenses. In “stretch” cases, I highlighted the potential impact on long-term goals like retirement.
“Net worth at 63 reduced by $200K”
Users wanted to understand not only how to fund their travels now but also the long-term impact. I wrote copy that made these implications tangible while encouraging quick adjustments.
“Learn about travel costs”
Time off was an aspirational and adventurous goal, which made it a perfect opportunity for engaging, creative copywriting. I used vivid language to inspire users while tying their dreams to practical financial considerations.
Time off for a baby
While exploring time-off, my team identified an opportunity to extend the feature to parental leave. Using the same core model and interface, I explored new datasets online and crafted content to help users understand the cost of reduced income while balancing childcare needs. Close to my heart, this concept was one of my favorite projects, although we ultimately didn’t launch due to the complexity of state laws and insufficient interest from our user base. However, this tough decision reinforced our commitment to user-centered design and inspired future ideas for tackling sensitive topics.
Key skills in this project
Research
At the time, our design team was young and evolving, and we didn’t have a dedicated researcher. So we took a hands on approach. I conducted surveys, interviews, and online research to gain insights into how our users and the general public think about financial decisions and goals, using this knowledge to craft language that resonated with them.
Strategy
I played a key role in go/no-go decisions, collaborating with product and design to assess alignment with Wealthfront’s mission. I prioritized features that added real value and advocated for refining those that risked overwhelming or confusing users. This focus on quality ensured every interaction felt supportive and aligned with our commitment to transparency and accuracy.
Content
Copy was my primary deliverable, but my main contribution was identifying users’ burning questions and desires. Great content is always about figuring out the “what” before perfecting the “how.” The latter involved crafting, testing, and iterating to ensure that each piece of content addressed user needs in a way that was clear, engaging, and effective
Collaboration
This project was a deeply collaborative journey. I was fortunate to partner with an exceptional team across product, design, data science, engineering, and marketing, each bringing unique passion and expertise to the table. It felt like a true team where each of us pushed one another to do our best work. I’m deeply grateful for the experience.
