RBC Launch – Investify

Inspiration

We kept asking ourselves: how many students want to start investing but never do, simply because it feels overwhelming?

Which broker is the best?
How much should I invest each month?
What if I don’t have the knowledge?

For most people, that uncertainty is enough to stop them from investing altogether.

We wanted to remove that barrier by building a product that makes investing feel as simple and motivating as setting a life goal, so students can start early, stay consistent, and actually watch their future take shape.

What it does

Investify is a goal-based investing + rewards experience that turns saving toward life milestones into a gamified, AI-supported journey.

🎯 Goal Setting – choose from a goal list (trip, laptop, down payment, emergency fund) or create your own.
📊 Dashboard – shows progress bars, time estimates, and milestones.
🤖 AI Coach (GPT-4o-mini) – uses the Martian API key if present to give short tips (or a fallback message if not).
💎 Rewards – you earn “lifetime points” that turn into levels and tiers; compare progress on a simple leaderboard.
📈 Portfolio Simulation – each goal creates a simulated portfolio using the hackathon portfolio API plus a basic growth formula after the first period.
🎉 Year Wrap (Prototype) – a summary idea for what you achieved during the year.

With a few clicks, you go from “I don’t know where to start” to “I’m moving toward my goals.”

How we built it

Frontend: Next.js 15 (App Router, React 19), TypeScript, Tailwind CSS 4, Radix UI, Framer Motion.
State: Zustand with devtools + manual localStorage save/load (not using the persist helper yet).
Data & Simulation: Helper in apiService calling the Hackathon Portfolio Simulation API.
Charts: Recharts + small custom components.
Persistence: No real database yet. We just keep data in memory and also store a copy in the browser (localStorage) so a refresh keeps the demo. Clearing storage or switching devices resets it.
AI Coach: GPT-4o-mini via Martian. If no key or error, we show a random fallback tip.
Rewards Logic: Lifetime points → level (every 1,000 pts) → tier (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond). Leaderboard uses lifetime points so redeeming later won’t drop your rank.

Development Flow

Set up a goal model (Goal, UserGoal, Milestone).
Built a central store that seeds demo data and reloads it from the browser.
Wrapped outside API calls in a simple helper (apiService).
Combined first 12‑month simulation data with a simple savings growth formula for longer projections.
Added clean UI pieces and light animations.
Ensured the demo loads “full” instantly for judging.

How Your Data Is Stored Right Now

No real database yet
Data lives in memory while the site is open
A simple copy (user, client, goals, demo flags) is saved in your browser (localStorage) so refresh keeps the demo
Clear storage / new browser = fresh start

Rewards, Levels & Tiers (Exact Logic)

Level = floor(lifetimePoints / 1000).
Tier ranges:
- Bronze: Levels 0–4
- Silver: Levels 5–14
- Gold: Levels 15–29
- Diamond: Levels 30 and above (visual bar capped at 49+).
Progress bar sections get wider for higher tiers (they take more levels).