Research and Experience

Advocait's development is grounded in over a decade of direct financial coaching experience and in-depth community research across multiple US urban geographies. The system's design emerges from extensive qualitative research with local community members, financial coaches, and social service providers, combined with insights from 10+ years of running successful financial coaching programs based in financial institutions, municipalities, nonprofits, and other contexts.

The research process included:

• Interviews with local residents about their experiences accessing financial resources

• Collaboration with local financial coaches to understand common barriers and effective support strategies

• Analysis of thousands of coaching sessions to identify patterns in how people seek and successfully connect with financial assistance

• Direct feedback from community organizations about gaps in resource accessibility

This rich foundation of practical experience and community input informed every aspect of Advocait's development, from its conversational approach to its method of presenting recommendations. The system's effectiveness comes from translating years of human-centered financial coaching expertise into an accessible digital format while maintaining the personalized, empathetic approach that has proven successful in face-to-face coaching.