Spending Buckets is a checking-account feature designed to help customers plan everyday expenses with confidence by making future spending visible and predictable without forcing rigid budgeting.

At Ally, many customers understood how to save, but struggled to manage money once it entered their checking account. Real-time transactions, overdraft rules, and timing mismatches made balances feel unpredictable, leading to anxiety, support volume, and disengagement. The challenge wasn’t a lack of tools it was a lack of clarity.

I led the end-to-end design of Spending Buckets, a 0→1 feature that allows customers to earmark money for recurring expenses like rent, groceries, or utilities using targets and due dates directly within their spending account. The core design decision was to prioritize progressive disclosure over forced budgeting, allowing users to build trust before introducing automation or constraints.

My work spanned problem framing, research synthesis, interaction modeling, onboarding strategy, and core flows across mobile and web. Throughout the project, I partnered closely with product, engineering, and compliance to balance usability with real-world financial risk.

Rather than optimizing for feature usage, Spending Buckets was designed to support behavior change, helping users understand what money is set aside and what remains available at any moment. The result is a scalable financial experience that reduces uncertainty, encourages intentional spending, and integrates seamlessly into everyday banking.