Short answer
AI cash flow forecasting projects your account balance forward from your own history. Finman takes the last 90 days of income, spending and recurring payments and projects the balance up to 90 days ahead, so you see a cash crunch weeks before a payment bounces. On the AI page, What if shows how many months each savings goal takes at your current pace.
What a cash flow forecast shows
A budget records what you plan to spend. A cash flow forecast estimates what your balance will be on a given future date if your habits stay the same. You need both: the budget sets the limits, the forecast tells you whether the money will be there when each bill lands.
The useful output is a balance line over time with its lowest point marked. A month can end in the black and still dip below zero on the 12th because rent leaves before payday. The forecast exists to show that dip in advance.
What Finman builds the projection from
Finman builds forecasts from your real transactions. The balance projection uses three groups of data from the last 90 days:
- 01Income. Salary, client payments and other money coming in, as recorded in your accounts.
- 02Spending. Day-to-day outflows by category: groceries, transport, eating out and the rest.
- 03Recurring payments. Rent, loans, utilities and subscriptions. Payments you save as recurring payments or subscriptions are placed on their next due dates. Finman’s subscription finder lists charges that repeat in your history, and one click adds each one.
- RecordedLast 90 daysIncome, spending and recurring payments from your accounts
- CalculatedYour typical monthWhat usually comes in, what usually goes out, and when
- ForecastBalance up to 90 days aheadA range between a better and a worse case, widening further out
- ForecastPoints that matterLowest balance and the worst case
On the Forecast page Finman draws the projected balance between an upper and a lower bound and names the lowest balance and the worst-case point with its date; a worst case below zero is highlighted. The further out the date, the wider the band, because more can change.
Where the AI fits
The projection is calculated by Finman’s forecasting engine from your own records. The part you talk to is the AI CFO chat. It answers questions from your own accounts, budgets, goals, debts and transactions, writes a monthly summary and spending insights, and drafts a savings plan. It runs on an OpenAI GPT model reached from Finman’s server, and nothing goes to the model until you open the AI page or send a message.
Good questions to ask it next to the forecast: “Which categories grew the most this month?”, “Which subscription should I cancel first?”, “How long until I can afford the down payment?” The answers come from your numbers, and you decide what to change.
See your own balance line
Import a statement or enter a few weeks by hand. Free during the open beta, no card.
Start forecasting freeHow accurate a personal forecast can be
Accuracy depends on how steady your money is and how much history the app has. Three things move it most:
- Length of history. A few weeks of transactions give a rough picture. With a full 90 days the typical month is clearer.
- Steady vs irregular income. A fixed salary on fixed dates is easy to project. Freelance or commission income makes the forecast a range of outcomes; read the low edge as the warning. Our guide to budgeting on an irregular income covers the buffer that range calls for.
- Events the data has never seen. A car repair you do not know about yet is invisible to any forecast. That is what an emergency fund is for.
Treat the forecast as a decision aid. It tells you where your current habits lead; it does not promise a number.
How to use the forecast week to week
- 01Read the lowest point, then the end balance. Risk lives at the trough. A month that ends positive can still overdraw mid-month.
- 02Act on a dip before it arrives. Move a flexible payment, delay a goal contribution, or trim one category until the worst case stays above zero.
- 03Re-check after big or unusual transactions. A bonus, a large purchase or a new loan changes the next months; look again once it is recorded.
- 04Keep the data current. The forecast is as fresh as your last import or entry. A weekly import of your bank file is enough for most people.
Getting your data in
monobank connects directly with a personal API token. For RBC Royal Bank, TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, Tangerine, Wealthsimple Cash, EQ Bank, Revolut and Wise, Finman imports the CSV, OFX or QFX file you download from online banking (step by step in how to import bank statements). Manual entry is always available, and transactions entered offline sync when the connection returns. Connecting a bank is optional; the forecast works on whatever you record.
What it costs
During the open beta every Finman feature is free and online payment is not switched on yet. After the beta, Pro is planned at $9/month and Family at $19/month; the Free plan keeps accounts and transactions, budgets and goals, and CSV import. For a checklist of what a forecasting app should do before you commit to one, see how to choose a financial forecasting app.
Frequently asked questions
What is AI cash flow forecasting?
AI cash flow forecasting projects your future account balance from your past income, spending and recurring payments. Finman uses the last 90 days of your transactions and projects the balance up to 90 days ahead, so you can see a cash crunch before it happens. Its AI CFO chat then answers questions about your own numbers.
How far ahead does Finman forecast?
Finman projects your balance up to 90 days ahead. On the AI page, What if shows how many months each savings goal takes at your current pace.
What data does the forecast use?
The last 90 days of income, spending and recurring payments from your accounts. The data can come from a connected monobank account, from CSV, OFX or QFX files you download from your bank, or from manual entry.
Do I need to link my bank account?
No. Connecting a bank is optional. You can import the statement file from online banking or enter transactions by hand, and the forecast is built from whatever you record.
How accurate is a personal cash flow forecast?
It is most reliable for steady income and fixed bills and less reliable for irregular income and events your history has never seen. Read the lowest projected point as an early warning and treat the forecast as a decision aid, not a guarantee.
Is Finman’s forecasting free?
Yes, during the open beta every feature is free and no card is needed. After the beta the paid plans are Pro at $9 and Family at $19 a month; payments are not switched on yet.
Know your lowest balance before it happens
Finman projects your balance up to 90 days ahead from your last 90 days. Free during the open beta.
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