Opportunity
Tax refunds are often the largest lump sum households receive all year.
Teachers often lack sufficient cash savings, leaving them financially vulnerable. Tax season presents a rare opportunity to change that, as refunds are often the largest lump sum households receive all year, averaging around $3,100. Yet this moment is frequently underutilized. Many users miss out on eligible credits or feel overwhelmed by the filing process, and those who do receive refunds often do so without a clear plan, leading to reactive spending instead of intentional allocation.
Solution
Turn this a once-a-year windfall into a structured, supportive step toward financial stability.
To address this, I designed a tax refund planning and automation experience that helps users decide in advance how their refund will be used. Before the money arrives, users create a simple plan to allocate portions of their refund into savings, pre-funded spending cards, and their checking account. When the refund lands, the system automatically distributes the funds according to that plan, turning a once-a-year windfall into a structured, supportive step toward financial stability.
Outcomes
In the first year of the feature, users accessed more than $700K in tax refunds through the platform. Of that, over $250K was intentionally planned before refunds arrived, with $75K automatically directed into Essential Savings and aligned spending through pre-funded spending cards and refund automations.
Tax Refund Planning
Users create a simple plan for how their refund will be allocated before it arrives, drawing on behavioral research that shows people who make a plan for windfalls are significantly more likely to save and follow through on their intentions.
Automating Refund to Savings and Spending
Once the refund lands, the app automatically distributes funds into Savings, pre-funded spending cards, and leaves some in their checking account based on the user’s preferences.
A Sample of Additional Screens in the Experience
Incentives
The experience includes clear incentives, such as a $100 bonus for automating the refund and an additional $100 bonus when savings surpass $1,000.
File Your Taxes For Free
The app also offers free state and federal tax filing with a max refund guarantee. I designed the intro and wrap-around to that filing experience.
Communications
Alongside designing the in-app experience for the “Maximize Your Refund” feature, I also led the end-to-end communication strategy supporting it. This included creating the initial marketing visuals, as well as writing all in-app and SMS notifications across each stage of the user journey from awareness to planning to post-refund follow-through.
I developed targeted email campaigns with product education guides tailored to specific audience segments, ensuring that these specific segments of users not only discovered the feature but understood how to use it confidently and effectively.
Additional Support
To reinforce the product experience, I designed and led live support offerings during tax season.
I hosted 15–30 minute coaching sessions where users learned how to file their own taxes and create a clear plan for their refund.
I also created the presentations for and led weekly ‘Tax Season Sessions’ focused on educating users about available tax credits and how to claim them. These sessions, delivered via Zoom, provided ongoing, accessible support that helped users build confidence, avoid common mistakes, and follow through on their plans.
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