How I Use Origin: Kenneth Mwangi
Once a month, we talk to an Origin member about their lives, finances, and how Origin is helping them balance both. In December, we're meeting Kenneth!
Can you share your name, where you’re based, what you do, and a little bit about yourself?
I’m Kenneth Mwangi, based in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m a health actuarial director, but my most important roles are being a dad, husband, son, and brother. I grew up in Kenya and moved to the U.S. for graduate school. I love the outdoors and can happily nerd out on math, investments, and Star Trek.
What money goals did you have when you first downloaded Origin?
I joined Origin out of frustration because I couldn't get a unified view of my financial landscape. I needed a single location to track all my assets, liabilities, and cash flow. Origin was the solution I had been searching for to solve that problem.
What’s your financial story? What motivated you to get serious about money, and where are you hoping to go from here?
The birth of my son prompted my wife and I to get intentional about paying off debt and increasing our savings ratio. As an actuary, being a "finance nerd" comes with the territory, but I was also naturally risk averse. Our goal was to push past that and start a clear path toward financial independence
With the current market ups and downs, how are you feeling about your finances? What helps you stay steady?
Short-term volatility doesn't bother me as much as long-term implications. Given the macro environment, I prefer to stay liquid. This allows me to stay afloat during downturns or buy into underpriced opportunities. Having that liquidity, combined with a long-term perspective on the market, keeps me steady.
Tell us about a specific win — big or small — that Origin helped you achieve.
Big wins: Tracking my net worth in one place — it feels like a financial cockpit. I can also easily monitor monthly spending and identify categories above or below my thresholds.
Small wins: The forecast tool brings everything into perspective, and the personal/weekly recaps save me so much time. The estate planning section also encouraged us to start planning for our kids’ future.
What advice would you give someone starting with Origin on their financial journey?
First, don’t let the journey overwhelm you. Link all your accounts and, without judgment, review the reports to understand your income and spending. Use the AI tool to query your data until you truly understand your cash flow.
Once you have the basics, look at your investments and forecasts. If you still feel lost, pay the fee for a financial planner — you don’t have to do this alone. Finally, read the weekly recaps; they will center you when the world feels chaotic.
Anything else you’d like to share? Feel free to plug any work you are doing, etc.
When we began our financial independence journey, we tried almost every app out there — and most fell short. Origin truly stands out. Thanks to the Origin team, and if you ever need an actuary’s perspective, I’m happy to help.
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Want to join Kenneth in the Origin community? Find us over on Reddit! Or…
Get started with Origin today.
Answers to your questions
Yes. Origin offers partner access so you can manage your finances together at no additional cost. You’ll be able to filter transactions by member—making it easy to see which spending is yours and which belongs to your partner.
Yes. You can edit existing transactions and add new ones directly in Origin, so your records stay accurate and personalized.
Origin connects securely through trusted partners including Plaid, MX, and Mastercard.
Yes. Origin supports CSV uploads. You can upload a .csv file of your transactions, and we’ll import them into your account.
Yes. Your data is protected with bank-level security and advanced encryption. When you connect accounts through Origin, your login credentials are never shared with us. Instead, our partners generate secure tokens that let Origin access only the data you authorize—keeping your personal information private while enabling personalized insights.
Yes. You have full control to organize your spending in Origin. Transactions are automatically categorized by Origin, but you can always edit categories, add your own tags, and filter transactions however you like—so your spending reflects the way you actually manage money.
