FinPrint (Financial Blueprint)

Inspiration

Financial literacy is rarely taught in a classroom. Most of us learn through expensive mistakes. I realized this personally after my credit score dropped because I unknowingly crossed the 30% utilization threshold, even though I had the funds to pay it off. We noticed many young adults aren't aware of the unspoken rules regarding credit, and may have similar questions about where to start when building financial wealth.

What it does

FinPrint is a text-based adventure that demystifies credit scores by tying player stats to real-world financial health. Every scenario is based on research into the faulty spending habits and debt struggles common in the 18-24 age group, providing a safe, simulated environment to make "expensive" mistakes for free. The game involves those unspoken rules I mentioned before, mentioning them explicitly and what to do to avoid getting in trouble with credit bureaus and lenders.

How we built it

As first-time hackers, we focused on the architecture of financial decisions using a logic-first approach. We used Figma to map out "Blueprints", ensuring that every player choice—from choosing a laptop to financing a purchase—leads to a realistic financial outcome, with a clear consequence, whether positive or negative.

Challenges we ran into

It can be a challenge not making learning a bore. Turning finance jargon into relatable terms for our peers was not easy. However, turning the lesson into a game made the barrier between fun and learning much thinner. Time was also a constraint, with more time, we'd be able to have more outcomes that are tailored to each individual based on their decisions, allowing people to have more individualized plans.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of turning a personal frustration into a productive educational tool. After seeing my own credit score drop 30 points due to a lack of awareness about credit utilization, we successfully transformed that setback into a roadmap for others. As first-time hackers, we are proud to have built a logical, research-backed demo that helps our peers avoid the same financial pitfalls we faced.

What we learned

Nearly one-third of 18-24 year olds are already burdened by credit card debt and federal student loans. We learned that these issues often stem from a lack of knowledge of financial literacy, rather than carelessness about finances. We realized that by providing the right information at the right time, we can empower our peers to navigate the credit system with confidence rather than fear.

What's next for FinPrint (Financial Blueprint)

We want to move beyond the mockup and build a fully interactive web application, and be able to collaborate with real financial institutions. Future versions will include "Expansion Packs" for different life stages, such as navigating high-yield savings accounts or investment "Raids." We also hope to integrate real-time data to help users track their actual progress while they play, turning their real-life financial journey into the ultimate high-score. This includes adding math based algorithms, and learning language models that can help calculate how long it will take to achieve credit goals based on the player's spending history.