Affordability Forms Made Easy

Rachel Curtis, Founder and CEO of Inicio AI, explains to Michael Bancroft how Inicio AI’s digital agent, Budgie, is addressing one of the biggest challenges in consumer finance: affordability data trapped in silos. The platform enables consumers to complete a single standardised budget that can be shared across multiple lenders, reducing repetition and friction, particularly for those in financial distress.

We explore how Budgie provides supportive, non-judgmental guidance through sensitive financial disclosures, how AI adapts using real interaction data, and how the system identifies unclaimed government benefits that could improve a consumer’s position. Rachel also discusses the role of human oversight for vulnerable customers and how organisations have significantly reduced call times while improving outcomes.

The interview covers the concept of “passporting” affordability data across the UK ecosystem and the work underway to create greater consistency in the Standard Financial Statement to support wider adoption.