System Requirements Document (SRD) for Cedar-Finance

1. Introduction

This document outlines the system requirements for Cedar-Finance, an AI-powered mobile application designed to help users track income, expenses, budgets, and financial reports while receiving AI-based financial insights. The goal is to create a production-ready mobile application that is user-friendly, secure, and scalable, tailored to the needs of users in India (IN). The application will provide a seamless experience for managing personal finances with advanced AI-driven recommendations.

2. System Overview

Cedar-Finance is a mobile-first application that empowers users to take control of their finances. The system will allow users to:

• Track income and expenses.
• Set and monitor budgets.
• Generate detailed financial reports.
• Receive AI-driven insights and recommendations for better financial management.

The application will leverage modern technologies, including React Native for the mobile frontend, FastAPI for the backend, and MySQL for the database. AI capabilities will be powered by GPT 5.4 for user-friendly responses and Claude 4.6 Opas for coding and academic insights. The system will be designed with clean architecture principles, ensuring scalability, maintainability, and security.

3. Functional Requirements

As a User:

• I should be able to register and log in securely using JWT authentication.
• I should be able to manage my profile, including updating my name, email, and password.
• I should be able to add income and expense transactions with details such as category, amount, date, and notes.
• I should be able to edit or delete existing transactions.
• I should be able to categorize transactions (e.g., food, travel, bills).
• I should be able to set monthly budgets for specific categories.
• I should receive alerts when my budget limit is close or exceeded.
• I should be able to view monthly income vs. expense reports.
• I should be able to view category-wise spending reports and savings analysis.
• I should be able to view graphs and charts for financial insights.
• I should receive AI-driven insights on spending habits, savings strategies, and financial recommendations.
• I should receive notifications for budget alerts, monthly summaries, and reminders to log expenses.

4. User Personas

1. Regular User

• Description: Individuals who want to manage their personal finances effectively.
• Goals: Track income and expenses, set budgets, and receive financial insights.
• Pain Points: Difficulty in managing finances, lack of financial awareness, and overspending.

2. Admin

• Description: System administrators responsible for managing the backend and ensuring smooth operation.
• Goals: Monitor system health, manage user accounts, and resolve technical issues.
• Pain Points: Ensuring system security, scalability, and uptime.

5. Visuals Colors and Theme

Color Palette for Cedar-Finance:

• Background: #F5F9FF (Soft Sky Blue)
• Surface: #FFFFFF (Pure White)
• Text: #2C3E50 (Deep Navy Blue)
• Accent: #FF6F61 (Coral Red for highlights and alerts)
• Muted Tones: #BDC3C7 (Light Gray for secondary elements)

This palette reflects a professional yet approachable aesthetic, aligning with the financial domain while maintaining user-friendliness.

6. Signature Design Concept

Interactive Financial Dashboard with Dynamic AI Insights

The homepage of Cedar-Finance will feature an interactive financial dashboard that feels alive and engaging. Key design elements include:

1. Dynamic AI Insights Panel:

   • A dedicated section where AI-generated financial insights appear as animated cards that "slide in" from the side.
   • Cards will feature icons, brief summaries, and actionable recommendations (e.g., "You spent 20% more on dining this month. Consider setting a dining budget.").

2. Real-Time Graph Animations:

   • Graphs and charts will animate in real-time, with smooth transitions as users filter data (e.g., by category, date range).
   • Hovering over data points will display tooltips with detailed information.

3. Budget Alerts with Visual Cues:

   • Budget alerts will appear as glowing, pulsating icons in the dashboard, drawing attention without being intrusive.
   • Clicking on an alert will open a modal with detailed suggestions and options to adjust the budget.

4. Micro-Interactions:

   • Buttons and icons will have subtle hover effects, such as color shifts or slight enlargements.
   • Transaction cards will "flip" to reveal more details when tapped.

This design will make the app visually appealing, intuitive, and engaging, ensuring users feel connected to their financial data.

7. Non-Functional Requirements

• Performance: The app should load within 2 seconds on a standard 4G connection.
• Scalability: The backend should handle up to 10,000 concurrent users.
• Security: All sensitive data must be encrypted, and APIs secured with JWT.
• Localization: Support for Indian currency (₹) and date formats (DD/MM/YYYY).
• Availability: 99.9% uptime for the backend services.

8. Tech Stack

Frontend:

• React Native for mobile app development.

Backend:

• FastAPI for building RESTful APIs.
• Python for backend logic.

Database:

• MySQL for relational data storage.
• Alembic for database migrations.

AI Models:

• GPT 5.4 for user-friendly responses.
• Claude 4.6 Opas for academic or coding insights.

AI Tools:

• LangChain for AI workflow orchestration.
• Litellm for LLM routing.

Orchestration:

• Docker and docker-compose for local development.
• Kubernetes for server-side orchestration.

9. Assumptions and Constraints

• Users will manually input financial data; no bank account integration is planned for the initial release.
• The app will primarily target users in India, with INR as the default currency.
• The system will support only English in the initial phase.
• AI insights will rely on external APIs, which may introduce latency.

10. Glossary

• JWT: JSON Web Token, used for secure authentication.
• AI: Artificial Intelligence, used for generating financial insights.
• FastAPI: A modern web framework for building APIs with Python.
• React Native: A framework for building cross-platform mobile applications.
• MySQL: A relational database management system.
• LangChain: A framework for developing applications powered by language models.

This document provides a comprehensive overview of the Cedar-Finance project, ensuring clarity and alignment across all stakeholders. Let me know if you'd like to refine or expand any section further!