Financial Peace App
Ramsey Solutions · Financial Peace · iOS/Android
Launched personalized debt payoff planning (+30% of users on track).
Ramsey needed more of its users in debt to be on track to pay it off within 24 months. I helped design a new mobile app from the ground up that guided users through debt payoff and showed how their choices changed their progress.
The flow of Financial Peace in mobile
The Problem
Ramsey measured success as users being on track to pay off their debt in 24 months or less, with a goal of 51%. Fewer than 30% were, partly because users couldn't clearly see how their current actions affected their payoff date.
My Role
SENIOR PRODUCT DESIGNER
Each designer on the team created their own version of the flows. We tested every version with real users through interviews and testing sessions, individually and in groups, kept the clearest screens from each, and combined them into new versions until we reached a final flow. I designed the progress visuals and came up with framing recommendations as time saved.
WHAT SHIPPED
Guided, goal-oriented planning instead of static budgeting
Progress tracking that shows how changes speed up or slow down debt payoff
Personalized recommendations based on onboarding answers
Long-term outcomes that are easy to understand and adjust
Onboarding screens across Financial Peace in mobile
Decisions & Trade-offs
MAKING SPEED VISIBLE
Early flows didn’t make it clear that changing the payoff date or monthly amount sped up or slowed down progress, and users told us they didn’t notice the change. I tested versions using a chart, a timeline, color (green for fast, yellow or red for slow), and icons like a turtle and a hare until users noticed the change.
FRAMING RECOMMENDATIONS AS TIME SAVED
I framed each recommendation by how much sooner it would get users out of debt, like “9 months faster,” and showed only recommendations that matched what they shared in onboarding. Someone not investing for retirement never saw retirement advice.
EASING HESITATION ABOUT RETIREMENT
Some recommendations, like pausing retirement contributions to pay off debt faster, made users hesitant to lose an employer match. We kept the recommendation and helped users see the benefit: how much sooner they’d be debt-free, the interest they’d save, and a larger net worth later in life.
Constraints
Solutions needed to align with the product’s established financial philosophy while working within existing systems and content structures.
Key points across Financial Peace in mobile
What Changed
Users were better able to understand their progress and take action toward paying off debt, leading to a 30% increase in users staying on track.
Hindsight
Stronger connections between recommendations and budgeting behavior could further improve clarity and long-term engagement.
Components of Financial Peace