Debt-Relief

Inspiration

Medical debt is one of the leading causes of financial stress in the United States. Unlike credit cards or student loans, medical bills often come suddenly, without warning, and with amounts that can feel impossible to manage. Our team wanted to address this issue because we have seen how overwhelming medical debt can be for families. We set out to build a tool that gives people clarity, hope, and a concrete plan to handle their payments.

What it does

Debt Relief is a personal consultant designed specifically for medical debt repayment. A user inputs their income, expenses, and medical debt details, then chooses how aggressively they want to tackle repayment. With data powered by Capital One’s Nessie API, the system simulates realistic financial conditions. Our backend engine calculates repayment timelines, interest costs, and offers strategies like Snowball, Hybrid, and Avalanche. Users receive a clear month-by-month plan that makes medical debt less intimidating and more manageable.

How we built it

We built a Flask backend that runs the debt simulation logic, using modular services and endpoints for scalability. Capital One’s Nessie API allowed us to pull mock transactions and income to model real financial scenarios. The frontend was built with React, where users can easily enter data and view repayment strategies. Together, these pieces form an interactive and supportive tool for anyone struggling with medical debt.

What we learned

This project pushed us to think beyond code and consider the human impact of what we were building. We learned how important it is to design technology that speaks to real problems, not just technical challenges. On the technical side, we grew more comfortable with backend API design, data validation, and integrating third-party APIs into a functioning system. We also learned how to manage our workflow as a team under a tight deadline.

Challenges we ran into

This was the first hackathon for all of our team members. At the start, even small things like setting up GitHub branches and organizing our folder structure felt overwhelming. We also had ambitious plans, but quickly realized we needed to focus on building a working MVP first. Another challenge was figuring out how to present financial data in a way that feels supportive rather than intimidating. These hurdles taught us how to prioritize, adapt, and work together under pressure.