Plaid-Powered Banking Web App

Project Overview

This project is a modern, secure banking web application powered by Plaid's financial services API. It leverages cutting-edge web technologies to provide a robust, user-friendly interface for managing financial data and transactions.

Tech Stack

• Frontend Framework: React.js with TypeScript
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• Error Monitoring: Sentry
• Development Environment: Dwollo
• Financial Services Integration: Plaid API

Key Features

1. Secure user authentication and authorization
2. Real-time account balance and transaction history
3. Multi-bank account aggregation
4. Transaction categorization and analysis
5. Budget tracking and financial goal setting
6. Bill payment and fund transfer capabilities
7. Responsive design for mobile and desktop use

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14.x or later)
• npm (v6.x or later)
• Plaid API credentials
• Sentry account for error tracking

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-repo/banking-web-app.git
   cd banking-web-app
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Set up environment variables: Create a .env file in the root directory and add the following:

   REACT_APP_PLAID_CLIENT_ID=your_plaid_client_id
   REACT_APP_PLAID_SECRET=your_plaid_secret
   REACT_APP_PLAID_ENV=sandbox  # or 'development' or 'production'
   REACT_APP_SENTRY_DSN=your_sentry_dsn
   

4. Start the development server:

   npm start
   

Project Structure

banking-web-app/
├── src/
│   ├── components/
│   ├── pages/
│   ├── hooks/
│   ├── utils/
│   ├── services/
│   ├── types/
│   ├── styles/
│   ├── App.tsx
│   └── index.tsx
├── public/
├── tests/
├── .env
├── tsconfig.json
├── tailwind.config.js
├── package.json
└── README.md

Key Components

• src/components/: Reusable UI components
• src/pages/: Top-level page components
• src/hooks/: Custom React hooks for shared logic
• src/utils/: Utility functions and helpers
• src/services/: API service integrations (Plaid, backend, etc.)
• src/types/: TypeScript type definitions
• src/styles/: Global styles and Tailwind CSS configurations

Plaid Integration

This app uses Plaid's API for secure bank account linking and financial data retrieval. Key integration points include:

1. Plaid Link for user authentication and account connection
2. Balance and transaction data fetching
3. Account and routing number retrieval for ACH transfers

Refer to the Plaid documentation for detailed API usage: Plaid API Docs

Security Measures

1. Sentry integration for real-time error tracking and monitoring
2. Secure handling of sensitive financial data
3. HTTPS enforcement
4. Input validation and sanitization
5. Regular security audits and penetration testing

Testing

• Unit tests: npm run test
• Integration tests: npm run test:integration
• End-to-end tests: npm run test:e2e

Deployment

This application is designed to be deployed using [your preferred deployment method/platform]. Ensure all environment variables are properly set in your production environment.

License

This project is licensed under the [Your chosen license] - see the LICENSE.md file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Plaid for providing the financial services API
• The React, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS communities for their excellent documentation and support