Anthropic launches Personal Finance in Claude, letting users connect bank and credit card accounts via Plaid with read-only access to analyze spending trends (Radhika Rajkumar/ZDNET)

Anthropic has launched a new Personal Finance feature in Claude, allowing users to connect their bank and credit card accounts via Plaid with read-only access. This enables Claude to analyze spending patterns and provide insights on financial matters such as monthly expenditures or the feasibility of future vacations. The feature is a response to the popularity of financial advice among Claude users, as revealed in Anthropic's April usage report.

It is designed with privacy in mind, as it only accesses specific data (such as account details, balances, and recent transactions) for the chosen connected accounts. Conversations within the Personal Finance hub are not used to train Claude's models. Users can also request visualizations like tables, charts, and calendars for better understanding of their financial data.

The feature is currently available to Pro, Max, and Ultra subscribers in the US and comes without ads or sponsored recommendations. Although Anthropic acknowledges that Claude shouldn't replace professional financial advice, users have reported positive experiences, with some comparing the tool to popular budgeting apps.