OpenAI has launched a new personal finance feature in ChatGPT that lets users securely connect their bank accounts and get AI-powered financial advice. The feature is currently available as a preview to ChatGPT Pro users in the United States, with support for over 12,000 financial institutions.
The move puts OpenAI in direct competition with established personal finance apps like Mint and YNAB, while capitalizing on the fact that over 200 million people already use ChatGPT monthly for budgeting and investment questions. The integration promises to make financial planning more conversational and context-aware than traditional budgeting tools.
Real financial data meets AI reasoning
Once users connect their accounts through Plaid (with Intuit support coming soon), ChatGPT creates a dashboard showing portfolio performance, spending patterns, subscriptions, and upcoming payments. The AI can then answer specific questions about your finances, like analyzing travel spending or reviewing subscription costs.
The system runs on GPT-5.5 Thinking, OpenAI’s latest reasoning model, which the company says performs better at complex financial tasks. According to OpenAI’s internal benchmarks developed with over 50 finance professionals, the model scored 79 out of 100 on challenging personal finance tasks.
Users can ask questions like:
- “Help me create a realistic plan to save $2,000 by year-end”
- “Should I pay off my credit card or invest in my 401k?”
- “What subscriptions am I not using?”
- “How much did I spend on dining out last month?”
Privacy and security measures
OpenAI has implemented several privacy controls to address concerns about sharing sensitive financial data with an AI system. ChatGPT can see account balances, transactions, and investments, but cannot view full account numbers or make changes to accounts.
Key privacy features include:
- Complete account disconnection at any time, with data deleted within 30 days
- Option to delete “financial memories” where ChatGPT stores context about goals and priorities
- No access to financial accounts during temporary chats
- Same model training settings users already control across ChatGPT
The company recommends enabling multi-factor authentication for additional account security.
Partnership strategy and expansion plans
OpenAI is partnering with companies like Intuit to move beyond advice to actual financial actions. Users might eventually go from getting a credit card recommendation to submitting an application, or from asking about tax implications to scheduling a session with a tax expert – all within ChatGPT.
The feature will expand to ChatGPT Plus subscribers after OpenAI learns from the Pro user preview, with the eventual goal of making it available to all users. The rollout strategy reflects OpenAI’s cautious approach to handling sensitive financial data and ensuring the system works reliably before broader deployment.
OpenAI emphasizes that ChatGPT “can help you stay informed and feel more confident managing your finances, but it is not a replacement for professional financial advice.” Early user testimonials suggest the tool is particularly useful for creating realistic budgeting plans and mortgage payoff strategies.
