42 GenAI in Banking & Finance : Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) in the Context of FinTech
Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) in the Context of FinTech Understanding Financial Data Before Modeling and Decision-Making 1. Introduction In the FinTech ecosystem, data is the most valuable asset. Every digital interaction—payments, lending, investments, insurance, and customer onboarding—generates vast amounts of financial data. However, raw data by itself has limited value. Before advanced analytics, machine learning, or artificial intelligence models can be applied, it is essential to understand the structure, quality, and behavior of the data. This preliminary and critical step is known as Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) . Exploratory Data Analysis refers to the process of examining datasets to summarize their main characteristics, identify patterns, detect anomalies, and uncover relationships. In FinTech, EDA plays a foundational role by bridging the gap between raw financial data and reliable, business-ready insights. Poorly understood data can lead to inaccurate models, re...