A 12-Month Research Plan for Financial Technology

Months 1–3: map the product and its dependencies

In the first quarter, define the service, customer, workflow, revenue source, and disclosed partners. Distinguish payment handling, credit, custody, and financial software. Build a glossary from company definitions so “active,” “volume,” and “loss” retain consistent meanings.

Create a source register with document date, relevant section, and research question. Use filings, product terms, and service or methodology documentation where available. Record missing information rather than filling gaps with industry assumptions.

• Draw the operational handoffs and note which entity performs each disclosed role.
• Capture baseline definitions for customer, transaction, revenue, and service metrics.
• List material unknowns about providers, funding, data, and supported markets.

Months 4–6: examine unit economics and data

In the second quarter, connect activity to reported revenue and expenses. Ask whether growth reflects customers, usage, pricing, or product mix. For lenders, inspect disclosures on originations, funding, servicing, and credit performance; for payments providers, review transaction fees and pass-through costs.

Check reporting periods, restatements, definitions, gross-versus-net presentation, and metric scope. Do not invent comparable proxies for undisclosed acquisition cost, fraud, or uptime.

Months 7–9: probe resilience

In the third quarter, examine dependencies and disruptions: provider unavailability, settlement delay, tighter funding, service interruption, or demand change. Specify evidence of the effect and distinguish a stress assumption from an actual event.

Review disclosed incident response, continuity, partner relationships, and controls. General assurances are not test results; flag gaps without assuming controls are absent or effective.

Months 10–12: update and decide what remains unknown

At year end, compare evidence with the original thesis. Record confirmed, contradicted, and untested expectations, plus changes in product scope, partners, metrics, or market coverage. A change log separates company developments from revised assumptions. Carry forward only indicators whose source and definition remain stable across reporting periods.

Set the next review around disclosure cadence and material events. Identify specific records or definitions still needed. A plan organizes research; it cannot establish future performance or replace source verification. This educational material is not individualized financial, tax, legal, insurance, or credit advice.