Building Economic Empowerment into Our Products: Q&A with Cash App’s Ryan Budd
Author
Block
Tags
Author
Block
Tags
We sat down with Ryan Budd, Head of Financial Products at Cash App, to discuss how economic empowerment and financial inclusion are built into the DNA of our products.
Q: Can you tell us about your current role?
Ryan Budd: I’m the Head of Financial Products at Cash App. My team is building a one-stop shop to empower our customers on their financial journeys. We’re building tools to help our customers save, invest, file taxes, and more.
Q: Ryan, you previously worked at Square, left, and then came back to join Cash App. What motivated you to return to Block?
Ryan Budd: What drew me back was the opportunity to make a big impact on something that truly makes a positive difference in people’s lives. At Cash App, we’re not just creating financial products, we’re empowering people on their financial journeys. Plus, I missed working with the incredible people here who share this mission.
Q: How do you approach financial inclusion in your work, and what factors do you consider in making products accessible to more people?
Ryan Budd: Financial inclusion is core to everything we do. The key components of inclusion for us are access, simplicity, and speed.
Access to financial tools is the most important aspect of inclusion. We want everyone, regardless of financial background, to have the tools to improve their financial health. This is built into the product decisions we make, from fractional stocks, which allow people to buy equity in their favorite companies for as little as $1, to choosing to make Cash App Taxes completely free for customers.
We prioritize simplicity to make finance more accessible, which comes down to both intuitive design and user-friendly products. Our design choices, like clear visuals and thoughtful use of white space, help our customers navigate without feeling overwhelmed, creating a comfortable experience. At the same time, our products — such as round-ups and automatic paycheck allocations to savings, stocks, and bitcoin — are designed to support positive financial habits without requiring constant effort.
Speed is also key — especially for those living paycheck to paycheck, where timing can make a huge difference. We ensure that customers can access their funds quickly, whether through early paycheck deposits, instant transfers, or immediate access to funds from investments. This way, people have the flexibility to act on their financial needs in real time.
Q: What features or products are you most proud of in terms of their impact on Cash App customers’ financial lives?
Ryan Budd: The first that comes to mind in terms of impact is access to credit, specifically through options like Cash Borrow and Afterpay. These are designed to help people bridge financial gaps when they need it most, whether it’s covering an unexpected expense or simply getting by until the next paycheck. Unlike payday loans or credit cards, Cash App works to prevent customers from entering a cycle of revolving debt by prohibiting the issuance of a new loan if a current loan is overdue. For many, these options can mean the difference between stability and falling behind.
When I think about my own financial upbringing, I wish I had had more tools to get started earlier. For example, with the investing features that Cash App offers. I remember meeting people in college who were investing in stocks, and I wished I had their financial confidence and knowledge. If I’d had access to educational resources and a tool that let me buy fractional shares of a stock, I might have started investing earlier.
Another feature that I wish I’d had earlier but I’m glad I have now is auto-allocation. It allows customers to automatically distribute their paycheck into wealth-building categories like savings, stocks, or bitcoin, without any manual steps. Traditionally, you’d have to transfer funds manually to different accounts, which can often take several days and easily slip your mind. Cash App’s ecosystem lets customers conveniently manage all of their money within their account — whether it’s from savings to investing or to another Cash App customer — right when they need it. This immediacy is empowering because it means customers can make financial decisions in the moment rather than having to wait, for example, for an ACH to land or a stock trade to settle.
Q: You mentioned that you use auto-allocation. How do automated tools like this help busy people like you reach their financial goals?
Even for someone like myself that is well versed in both tech and finance, I’ve often found myself doing a poor job of ensuring my money was being put to good work. Every so often, I’d do a “spring cleaning” of my finances and find cash just sitting in a checking or savings account earning next to nothing. It could’ve been growing in a high-yield savings account, an ETF, a dividend-earning stock, or even bitcoin. But small hurdles — like transferring funds from my bank to a brokerage or crypto exchange — were enough to make me put it off, sometimes forgetting to check if the funds even landed. Life gets busy, and honestly, it’s so much more efficient to make a decision once, like setting a recurring investment, rather than having to take the same action again and again. There's no doubt in my mind that our auto-allocation feature brings me closer to maximizing my passive earning potential and we’re still in just the early innings of what this feature can do.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing people locked out of the financial system today, and how is Cash App addressing these issues?
Ryan Budd: We’ve made great progress on access to credit, but there’s still more work to do across the industry. Many people who could benefit from credit have historically been underserved or excluded entirely, which limits their financial mobility. At Cash App, we’re expanding credit access through proprietary underwriting models that use a wider range of data not used in traditional credit scoring systems. We also offer options like Afterpay integration on the Cash App Card, allowing customers to make purchases now and pay over time.
Another barrier is the sheer complexity of the financial system. Many people struggle with understanding financial products and making informed decisions. We’re working to simplify this by designing tools that help people save and invest effortlessly. We’re also thinking about addressing financial complexity by helping our customers move beyond read-only financial management — where people can only view their finances — to offer actionable insights. Imagine seeing that you spent more than usual on shopping this month and having an option to set a spending limit or pause a recurring subscription right from the app. This proactive guidance can be a game changer.
Q: Can you share a story where you witnessed the social impact of the work you do firsthand?
Ryan Budd: One story that really touched me was a post we came across on social media. A customer had gotten a flat tire but didn’t have the money on hand to cover the repair. In a situation like that, even a minor financial setback can create a ripple effect, potentially causing missed work or additional expenses. This person reached out to a friend or family member, who suggested they check in the app to see if they had access to Cash App Borrow. They were able to take out a $200 loan on the spot, get their tire fixed, and get back on the road.
I remember another customer on a panel sharing how much they loved the round-ups feature. They described it as feeling like they’d stumbled upon “free money” when they checked their savings and realized how much had quietly accrued just from using their Cash App Card for everyday purchases. It’s a perfect example of how small, automatic actions can add up over time without requiring constant effort.
Life is busy, and for most people, money is a significant source of stress and anxiety. The beauty of tools like round-ups or auto-allocation is that they help build good financial habits in the background
It’s small moments like these that highlight why we do what we do. When we think of lending, we often envision large loans for big purchases, but for many people, access to even a small loan can mean the difference between managing a crisis and spiraling into further hardship. Seeing how our tools genuinely help people in real, everyday situations — that’s what makes the work so meaningful.
Author
Block
Tags
We sat down with Ryan Budd, Head of Financial Products at Cash App, to discuss how economic empowerment and financial inclusion are built into the DNA of our products.
Q: Can you tell us about your current role?
Ryan Budd: I’m the Head of Financial Products at Cash App. My team is building a one-stop shop to empower our customers on their financial journeys. We’re building tools to help our customers save, invest, file taxes, and more.
Q: Ryan, you previously worked at Square, left, and then came back to join Cash App. What motivated you to return to Block?
Ryan Budd: What drew me back was the opportunity to make a big impact on something that truly makes a positive difference in people’s lives. At Cash App, we’re not just creating financial products, we’re empowering people on their financial journeys. Plus, I missed working with the incredible people here who share this mission.
Q: How do you approach financial inclusion in your work, and what factors do you consider in making products accessible to more people?
Ryan Budd: Financial inclusion is core to everything we do. The key components of inclusion for us are access, simplicity, and speed.
Access to financial tools is the most important aspect of inclusion. We want everyone, regardless of financial background, to have the tools to improve their financial health. This is built into the product decisions we make, from fractional stocks, which allow people to buy equity in their favorite companies for as little as $1, to choosing to make Cash App Taxes completely free for customers.
We prioritize simplicity to make finance more accessible, which comes down to both intuitive design and user-friendly products. Our design choices, like clear visuals and thoughtful use of white space, help our customers navigate without feeling overwhelmed, creating a comfortable experience. At the same time, our products — such as round-ups and automatic paycheck allocations to savings, stocks, and bitcoin — are designed to support positive financial habits without requiring constant effort.
Speed is also key — especially for those living paycheck to paycheck, where timing can make a huge difference. We ensure that customers can access their funds quickly, whether through early paycheck deposits, instant transfers, or immediate access to funds from investments. This way, people have the flexibility to act on their financial needs in real time.
Q: What features or products are you most proud of in terms of their impact on Cash App customers’ financial lives?
Ryan Budd: The first that comes to mind in terms of impact is access to credit, specifically through options like Cash Borrow and Afterpay. These are designed to help people bridge financial gaps when they need it most, whether it’s covering an unexpected expense or simply getting by until the next paycheck. Unlike payday loans or credit cards, Cash App works to prevent customers from entering a cycle of revolving debt by prohibiting the issuance of a new loan if a current loan is overdue. For many, these options can mean the difference between stability and falling behind.
When I think about my own financial upbringing, I wish I had had more tools to get started earlier. For example, with the investing features that Cash App offers. I remember meeting people in college who were investing in stocks, and I wished I had their financial confidence and knowledge. If I’d had access to educational resources and a tool that let me buy fractional shares of a stock, I might have started investing earlier.
Another feature that I wish I’d had earlier but I’m glad I have now is auto-allocation. It allows customers to automatically distribute their paycheck into wealth-building categories like savings, stocks, or bitcoin, without any manual steps. Traditionally, you’d have to transfer funds manually to different accounts, which can often take several days and easily slip your mind. Cash App’s ecosystem lets customers conveniently manage all of their money within their account — whether it’s from savings to investing or to another Cash App customer — right when they need it. This immediacy is empowering because it means customers can make financial decisions in the moment rather than having to wait, for example, for an ACH to land or a stock trade to settle.
Q: You mentioned that you use auto-allocation. How do automated tools like this help busy people like you reach their financial goals?
Even for someone like myself that is well versed in both tech and finance, I’ve often found myself doing a poor job of ensuring my money was being put to good work. Every so often, I’d do a “spring cleaning” of my finances and find cash just sitting in a checking or savings account earning next to nothing. It could’ve been growing in a high-yield savings account, an ETF, a dividend-earning stock, or even bitcoin. But small hurdles — like transferring funds from my bank to a brokerage or crypto exchange — were enough to make me put it off, sometimes forgetting to check if the funds even landed. Life gets busy, and honestly, it’s so much more efficient to make a decision once, like setting a recurring investment, rather than having to take the same action again and again. There's no doubt in my mind that our auto-allocation feature brings me closer to maximizing my passive earning potential and we’re still in just the early innings of what this feature can do.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing people locked out of the financial system today, and how is Cash App addressing these issues?
Ryan Budd: We’ve made great progress on access to credit, but there’s still more work to do across the industry. Many people who could benefit from credit have historically been underserved or excluded entirely, which limits their financial mobility. At Cash App, we’re expanding credit access through proprietary underwriting models that use a wider range of data not used in traditional credit scoring systems. We also offer options like Afterpay integration on the Cash App Card, allowing customers to make purchases now and pay over time.
Another barrier is the sheer complexity of the financial system. Many people struggle with understanding financial products and making informed decisions. We’re working to simplify this by designing tools that help people save and invest effortlessly. We’re also thinking about addressing financial complexity by helping our customers move beyond read-only financial management — where people can only view their finances — to offer actionable insights. Imagine seeing that you spent more than usual on shopping this month and having an option to set a spending limit or pause a recurring subscription right from the app. This proactive guidance can be a game changer.
Q: Can you share a story where you witnessed the social impact of the work you do firsthand?
Ryan Budd: One story that really touched me was a post we came across on social media. A customer had gotten a flat tire but didn’t have the money on hand to cover the repair. In a situation like that, even a minor financial setback can create a ripple effect, potentially causing missed work or additional expenses. This person reached out to a friend or family member, who suggested they check in the app to see if they had access to Cash App Borrow. They were able to take out a $200 loan on the spot, get their tire fixed, and get back on the road.
I remember another customer on a panel sharing how much they loved the round-ups feature. They described it as feeling like they’d stumbled upon “free money” when they checked their savings and realized how much had quietly accrued just from using their Cash App Card for everyday purchases. It’s a perfect example of how small, automatic actions can add up over time without requiring constant effort.
Life is busy, and for most people, money is a significant source of stress and anxiety. The beauty of tools like round-ups or auto-allocation is that they help build good financial habits in the background
It’s small moments like these that highlight why we do what we do. When we think of lending, we often envision large loans for big purchases, but for many people, access to even a small loan can mean the difference between managing a crisis and spiraling into further hardship. Seeing how our tools genuinely help people in real, everyday situations — that’s what makes the work so meaningful.