The average American has 15 different places where his or her money lives. Consumers have $1.6 billion in Starbucks gift cards alone – a free loan to the coffee company at 0% interest. The degree of fragmentation makes it very difficult to optimize personal finances. This is especially true in a high interest rate environment, where getting money to an interest bearing account sooner rather than later has a big impact on money earned.‍

Sequence is solving the gap in the market for a Personal Finance Manager (PFM) that allows users to automate money flows based on conditional criteria in a visual and intuitive way. Existing PFMs have tackled the first part of the challenge: allowing users to see all of their assets and liabilities in one place. However, the vast majority fall short of enabling seamless money movement. And the fixed automations available through traditional financial institutions (e.g., “transfer $500 to my high yield savings account from checking) get consumers into trouble when account balances fluctuate.

‍Through its partnership with Method, Sequence has built the first of its kind finance router. Method’s APIs show users their real-time debt balances and enable automated payments, which they set using Sequence’s smart routing rules.

– Gilad Uziely, CEO of Sequence

Objective

Sequence’s goal is to enable users to visualize their money flow, set smart routing rules and execute complex financial strategies all from one single, powerful platform. With Sequence, users save time by automating conditional logic to move their money in accordance with their financial strategy and goals. This optimization in turn allows them to gain money, by allocating the optimal amount of funds to debt paydown, high yield savings, or investment opportunities.

Approach

To provide this degree of customizable control over financial flows, Sequence needed to build a visual router for money movement. By connecting all financial accounts, Sequence allows users to view how their finances are distributed across all accounts with a dynamic money map. The platform provides live updates on where balances stand and full control of exactly how much of the user's income goes where. These smart rules are automated using IF statements, perfect for "fingeeks," who want highly optimized money flows, as well as less engaged users, who want to "set it and forget it."

Method provides the underlying technology architecture behind user onboarding, real-time balances, and payment for liabilities. Method’s Liabilities Data API delivers the real-time, consolidated view of all debt for users, while the Liabilities Payment API enables electronic payment to more than 15k financial institutions.

Benefits for Sequence Users

Sequence partnered with Method to create this one-of-a-kind financial router.

• Onboarding: Users can verify their identity and seamlessly integrate all of their liability accounts without credentials, just PII

• Real time data: Displaying a user's current balance across debts (mortgage, auto, student loans, credit cards) to help them set informed smart rules

• Conditional payment triggers: Users can trigger transfers when funds come in, on a certain date, or when balances dip below or rise above a set threshold. 

• Rule-based payment amounts: Users can transfer amounts or percentages of balances.

• Payment flexibility and control: Payment can be adhoc or recurring, intentional or automated. 

Impact

Since its launch in late 2023, Sequence has connected over 13K accounts. Liability accounts accounted for more than 50% of this total, with a cumulative outstanding balance of over $50M. Users have set an average of 8.6 rules and made an average of 24 transactions per month. Within the first 60 days of using Sequence, users double their monthly account transfers, signifying greater financial optimization and control.

People don’t optimize their money because it is emotionally overwhelming. Even when they make a plan, it is easy to forget. Sequence’s automation helps overcome that barrier. It helps people implement the logic and let the rules run their course, allowing users to benefit from the time value of money

– Jim Grace CFP

About Sequence

The average American juggles around 15 different accounts, including credit cards, loans, bank accounts, and fintech apps. This fragmentation of services has made it increasingly challenging to track, comprehend, manage, and optimize our financial lives. With Sequence, consumers and small business owners can have all their accounts in one place, create automations to boost savings, optimize finances, and automatically move money based on dates, balance status, and other criteria. Unlike other personal finance platforms, Sequence is actionable. You can execute your financial strategy directly from the platform, making it easier to stay on top of your finances and take control of your financial goals. To learn more, visit getsequence.io.

About Method Financial

Method’s APIs are redefining financial connectivity with real-time, read-write, and frictionless access to all consumer liability data with integrated payment rails. Method helps lenders increase revenue by streamlining customer acquisition, improving underwriting accuracy, and increasing line utilization through balance transfers, all without the need for a consumer’s username and password. Today, Method powers solutions for over 60 fintechs, lenders, and FIs including Aven, Bilt, Upgrade, and Figure. Method is backed by a16z, Abstract Ventures, YC, Truist Ventures, and more. To learn more, visit methodfi.com.