DEVELOPMENT OF A FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND BUDGETING CHATBOT

This project presents the design, development, and evaluation of a web-based Financial Assistance and Budgeting Chatbot powered by conversational artificial intelligence. The system was developed to address the growing need for accessible, real-time financial guidance among individuals, particularly those with limited financial literacy or access to professional advisory services. Leveraging Natural Language Processing (NLP) and the Gemini API, the chatbot provides personalized budgeting tips, spending analysis, and financial literacy support in a conversational format. The frontend was implemented using React, Next.js, and Tailwind CSS. The system architecture emphasizes modularity, scalability, and user privacy. A comprehensive literature review highlights the increasing adoption of chatbots by financial institutions and identifies key challenges such as data security, regulatory compliance, and explainability. Using a design-science methodology, the chatbot was iteratively developed, tested, and refined. Functional and usability testing confirmed that the chatbot could successfully interpret user inputs, deliver relevant responses, and provide an intuitive user experience. The final system includes a landing page, a resources section, and a chat interface that allows users to interact seamlessly with the AI assistant. This work demonstrates the potential of conversational AI in promoting financial literacy and self-service budgeting. It contributes to the growing body of research on AI applications in finance and offers a blueprint for building secure, scalable, and user-centered financial chatbot solutions.