Inspiration
Vesta was created because mortgages are huge, stressful, and confusing. In the UK there is over £1.7 trillion in outstanding residential mortgage debt, yet many people still struggle to understand basic terms, fees, and processes. Most consumers are flooded with paperwork rather than clarity, and decisions are often made under pressure. The FCA’s Consumer Duty now expects firms to support genuine understanding, not just provide technical disclosure. Vesta fills that gap.
What it does
Vesta is a plain-language mortgage literacy assistant. It explains documents, jargon, and steps in the mortgage journey without giving advice or recommending products. It helps people understand things like DIPs, valuations, underwriting, fixed rates, and SVRs so they can talk more confidently with lenders, brokers, and solicitors.
How we built it
I designed Vesta to be lightweight, accessible on any device, and usable without an account. It is stateless and privacy-preserving by default, meaning it does not store personal data. The focus was on clear language, neutral explanations, and practical usefulness rather than complex features.
Challenges we ran into
Balancing clarity with accuracy was difficult. Mortgage rules are technical, yet the tool had to remain simple, my personal experience with programming is not extensive to I relied heavily on the gemini to create everything for me.
Accomplishments we’re proud of
I created a tool that makes a complicated system feel more navigable, and that people can use at any moment in their mortgage journey without giving up their data.
What we learned
Information alone is not enough. Understanding is what actually changes outcomes.
What’s next for Vesta
Deeper explanations of documents, better contextual examples, and wider accessibility so more people can approach mortgages with confidence rather than confusion. Added functions and iterations for colourblindness, TTS and STT.
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