According to Keynova, three major banks — Bank of America, Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank — have started offering predictive consumer checking account insights within their mobile apps. Using factors like past transaction patterns, scheduled and recurring transactions and expected deposits, their apps give consumers a sense of the road ahead. Bank of America’s Erica virtual assistant presents insights upfront after the mobile user logs in. This includes such information as payment due dates and recurring subscription charges. Insights are also presented about spending habits using the categorized spending and cash flow over the previous year. Wells Fargo flags its forecast on the app’s pay and transfer screen (point 1 in the first screen below). Tapping on the activity forecast icon (point 2) sends the user to further detail, along with a timeline (point 3). A link (point 4) on the same screen leads to a screen (point 5) presenting any scheduled transactions, along with a chart forecasting balances in the future. U.S. Bank’s app presents a balance forecast on the app’s account details screen. In a general sense, it gives a forecast of whether the balance over the next 30 days will be positive or negative (point 1) and then the bank’s estimate of what the running balance will be (point 2). A popup box (point 3) gives the user the data elements that went into the bank’s forecast. Susan Foulds, managing director of Keynova, believes these features can encourage consumers to consolidate more of their relationships in a single institution, because the more that’s under the umbrella, the better the forecasts can be. She says other banks that aren’t as far along as Bank of America, Wells and U.S. Bank could be doing more even with data they already have. Even simply totaling up whatever is scheduled for the next week to 14 days, and presenting the math, is a service to customers.