Barrett Slade has always recognized that a large majority of our decisions are inherently financial. Do we go to college, or do we go to trade school? What should we eat for lunch? Should we rent the apartment 15 minutes away from work, or the one in the city?
After nearly a decade working in the financial sector, Slade set out to create a platform to help young people understand how financial decisions—whether major ones like those concerning careers and housing, or everyday lifestyle choices—add up. From this mission, Finplanly was born.
Finplanly has two main features. The first is the “Learning Lab,” which provides nine modules designed for beginners with no prior knowledge of personal finance. The program walks users from the basics to building a structured budget and grasping the true cost of living. It covers essential topics like taxes and investment types, with a strong focus on the behavioral mindset behind financial decisions. Slade said an ambitious user may be able to work through the modules in a month or less.
The second feature is the “Money Map,” which allows users to “map” out their financial future and set up a realistic budget accordingly.
Beyond the specific design of these features, what sets Finplanly apart is the dynamic use of AI throughout its platform. Each module includes an AI-powered worksheet that helps users see the real-world impact of their financial choices. For example, in the “career pathway” module, users can explore how selecting one college or major over another could affect their financial future, factoring in both the user’s personal interests and broader trends.
Why is Finplanly essential?
Slade explained that while information is abundant in today’s day and age, the guidance to sift through that information is not.
“One of the things that I’ve started realizing [is that] information is abundant right now, but guidance is not” Slade said, “And that’s what I wanted to do, is consolidate kind of that personal finance education into thinking about your career as well as the life that you’re trying to develop and create.”
To date, Finplanly has been entirely bootstrapped. Slade created the website himself and was able to introduce it to over 300 young people at southeast Raleigh senior day in 2024.
Finplanly is targeted first towards parents, educators, and community leaders who want their young people to have a solid financial understanding. Of course, anyone interested in building their financial knowledge is encouraged to sign up as well.
Pricing and future plans
Finplanly has a group pricing plan that is $20 for three months (with a three-student minimum) which comes with the AI-powered learning, all the modules, and access to an instructor portal from which students can be managed. For individual students, a free plan is available that includes only the learning modules. Alternatively, an individual user can buy a $7/month plan that includes both the modules and AI-powered sections.
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Startup: Finplanly
Founder: Barrett Slade
Founded: 2024
Team size: 1
Location: Durham
Website: www.finplanly.com
Funding: Bootstrapped
Slade hopes to be able to provide financial knowledge to as many young people as he can, especially in a time where financial uncertainty is quite high. In the near future, he aims to target Finplanly at young people by getting involved with community groups that already have this audience’s attention and could promote Finplanly as a unique learning experience.
Another goal for Slade, looking ahead, is to further develop the AI models to become more versatile—capable of generating interactive scenarios that help users see how their financial decisions could impact other areas of their lives. The aim is to create a more dynamic, personalized learning experience that connects choices to long-term outcomes.
“I really just want to kind of streamline and democratize access to this [financial] knowledge”, Slade said.
