2025-12-16
Announcing FinInsights Beta: AI Intelligence for Your YNAB Budget
I've been a YNAB user for years. Love the envelope method. Love the intentionality. Love the philosophy.
But I wanted more.
I wanted to see what my expenses would look like next month. I wanted my budget to adapt automatically when life changed. I wanted intelligence on top of my data, not just categorized transactions.
YNAB is fantastic at what it does. But it's not built for the kind of AI-powered analytics I was craving.
So I built FinInsights.
What FinInsights Is (And Isn't)
FinInsights is an AI intelligence layer for YNAB.
It's not a replacement. It's not trying to be another budgeting app. It works with YNAB to give you insights that YNAB philosophically won't build.
Think of it this way:
- YNAB handles the budgeting - envelope method, manual categorization, present-focused money management
- FinInsights adds the intelligence - forecasting, pattern detection, smart recommendations, predictive analytics
You keep budgeting in YNAB. FinInsights makes your budget smarter.
Why I Built This
Here's the thing: I use YNAB every day. But I found myself constantly asking questions YNAB couldn't answer:
"What will my cash flow look like in 30 days?" YNAB focuses on present money (by design). I needed forward-looking projections.
"I just bought a new car - how should I update my budget?" New car means new registration costs, higher insurance, different gas spending. YNAB made me manually recalculate everything.
"My electric bill ranges from $80 to $250 - what should I budget?" YNAB wants one static number. I needed something smarter that accounts for seasonal variation.
"I overspent in 5 categories this month - where should I pull money from?" YNAB shows me the red categories. It doesn't tell me which funding sources are safe to tap.
These aren't YNAB's failures - they're philosophical choices. YNAB believes in manual budgeting and present money. That's their strength.
But I needed the intelligence layer they'll never build.
What FinInsights Does
FinInsights connects to your YNAB account (via OAuth 2.0) and adds four core intelligence features:
1. Cash Flow Forecasting
See what your expenses will look like 7, 30, or 90 days out based on your actual spending trajectory. No guessing, no manual projections - just AI analysis of your patterns.
Example: "Based on your spending, you'll need $4,200 in the next 30 days. Your current trajectory has you short by $350 on Dec 28. Plan accordingly."
2. Life Change Intelligence
When you make a major purchase (new car, home improvement, new baby), FinInsights detects it and recommends updated budget targets automatically.
Example: "Detected new car purchase ($32,000). Recommended target updates: Car Registration $200 → $450/yr, Auto Insurance review needed, Gas budget increase to $180/mo."
3. Variable Bill Intelligence
For expenses that change seasonally (utilities, groceries), FinInsights calculates rolling averages with seasonal adjustments.
Example: "Your electric bill: $220 target for summer (June-Aug), $110 for spring/fall, $180 for winter. Based on 12-month rolling average with seasonal weighting."
4. Budget Doctor
Understand why you overspent and which categories are safe to reallocate from, with risk scoring (LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH).
Example: "Groceries overspent 8 of last 12 months by avg $145. Pattern: Chronic underfunding. Safe reallocation sources: Coffee & Alcohol (spent 2/12 months, LOW RISK)."
How It Works
- Sign up at fininsights.io
- Connect your YNAB account via OAuth 2.0 (YNAB's public API - read-only access)
- Let FinInsights analyze your spending patterns (takes about 2 minutes)
- Get AI-powered insights immediately
- Keep budgeting in YNAB - FinInsights just makes it smarter
Your YNAB data stays encrypted and secure. Read-only access only. You can revoke access anytime.
Beta Details
FinInsights is a third-party app that integrates with YNAB via their public API and OAuth 2.0. We're listed in YNAB's "Works with YNAB" directory.
Beta access is free through Q1 2026:
- No credit card required
- Full feature access
- Help shape the product roadmap
- Early access to new features
We'll be evaluating pricing models based on beta feedback. Beta users will get advance notice and special consideration when we transition to paid tiers.
Who This Is For
You'll love FinInsights if you:
- Are an active YNAB user who wants deeper analytics
- Wish YNAB had forecasting capabilities
- Find yourself manually calculating budget adjustments after life changes
- Want to understand spending patterns beyond category totals
- Need help making confident decisions during month-end closeout
FinInsights probably isn't for you if you:
- Are happy with YNAB exactly as-is
- Don't want additional tools in your workflow
- Prefer 100% manual budgeting without AI assistance
- Don't use YNAB (though we're planning broader integrations based on demand)
What's Next
This is beta software. Expect some rough edges. Expect active development. Expect your feedback to directly shape what we build.
Current focus areas:
- Improving forecast accuracy
- Refining Budget Doctor insights
- Adding more pattern detection capabilities
- Listening to what beta users actually need
Post-beta possibilities (based on your feedback):
- Bank account integration via Plaid
- CSV imports for non-YNAB users
- Mobile app for quick insights
- Advanced customization options
The Honest Truth
I didn't build FinInsights to create another budgeting app. There are plenty of those.
I built it because I'm a YNAB user who wanted the intelligence YNAB won't build. The forecasting. The pattern detection. The smart recommendations.
I use FinInsights every day with my own YNAB budget. If it doesn't help me, I don't ship it.
That's the standard.
Try It Risk-Free
Beta is open. No credit card required. Free through Q1 2026.
Start your beta access: fininsights.io
Questions? Email me directly: [email protected]
FinInsights is an independent third-party application. We are not affiliated, associated, or in any way officially connected with YNAB or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. YNAB is a registered trademark of You Need A Budget LLC.
P.S. If you're not a YNAB user but want AI-powered financial intelligence, let me know. We're collecting feedback on what integrations to prioritize next (Plaid, Mint, Monarch, QuickBooks, etc.).
P.P.S. FinInsights is part of Methodical Cloud's portfolio of intelligence-first products. We're building AI layers for the tools you already use, not trying to replace them. Next up: MindInsights for Obsidian users.