ArriveAI

From Freshman to Financial Fluent. ArriveAI is a financial co-pilot helping international students go from zero credit to credit-confident.

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Inspiration

I landed in the US as an international student with no SSN, no credit history, and zero guidance. The tools that existed were built for Americans who already had a 700+ score. Nobody told me about the Deserve EDU card, the ITIN path, or the Chase 5/24 rule.

Today I have $2M+ in credit limits and 500,000+ points — built entirely from scratch starting with a single student card. That journey is what ArriveAI is.

The number that made this real: UMD international students spend over $17 million annually on credit cards with almost none of it optimized. That's millions in missed cashback and lost points walking out the door every year.

What I Learned

The credit math is surprisingly powerful once you understand it. The Amex Gold Card charges a $325 annual fee — but gives back $424 in credits. Before you swipe once, it pays you:

($200 dining × 4x × 12) + ($150 grocery × 4x × 12) + $424 credits − $325 fee = +$368/year

I also learned that the international student path is completely different from standard advice. I mapped it into three phases: Survive (no SSN, first card), Build (stack no-fee cards, hit 700+), Optimize (Amex Gold, Chase Sapphire, transfer partners).

How I Built It

Fully client-side — no backend, no login, opens instantly. Four files:

  • finpath.html — 4-step onboarding quiz that detects your phase
  • finpath-data.js — 19 cards with verified fees and credits, UMD resource URLs, friend network
  • finpath-app.js — Conversational AI engine, phase logic, wallet + referral system
  • finpath.css — OLED dark design system, IBM Plex Sans, glassmorphism nav

The AI advisor uses a stateful interview mode — instead of generic answers, it asks follow-up questions ("how much do you spend on dining?") before running personalized math. The social referral layer lets you see which friends own a card and request their referral link, so both parties earn bonus points.

Challenges

Every number had to be right. The Amex Gold fee is $325, not $395. The credits are $120 Uber Cash + $120 dining + $84 Dunkin' + $100 Resy = $424. Wrong numbers would instantly destroy trust.

Phase-aware advice is hard. A student with no SSN asking about Amex Platinum needs a redirect. A Phase 3 student needs the full math. Same question, completely different answer — building that context routing without it feeling robotic took real work.

Built With

  • api
  • css
  • github
  • glassmorphism
  • html5
  • javascript
  • no-framework-css3-?-custom-design-system-(css-variables
  • oled-optimized-dark-mode)-vanilla-javascript-?-stateful-ai-engine
  • phase-detection
  • vanilla
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