Finance ChatGPT Prompts
Financial planning, investing, and accounting prompts
Personal Budget Plan on a $50,000 Income
Create a monthly budget framework for someone earning $50,000 per year in {location} with {household_situation}. Work from net pay, not gross, and show the difference explicitly. Allocate across housing, transport, food, utilities, insurance, debt service, savings and discretionary spending, giving both a percentage guideline and what it means in currency at this income. At this level housing cost is the dominant variable and the plan lives or dies on it. Prioritise a starter emergency fund and any employer retirement match before aggressive debt paydown, since the match is an immediate guaranteed return. Compare 50/30/20 against zero-based budgeting and say which suits this situation and why. Include the emergency fund target with the reasoning behind the number, the order in which to prioritise competing goals, and a simple monthly review. State clearly that this is an educational framework, not personalised financial advice, and name the situations where a qualified adviser is genuinely warranted.
Personal Budget Plan on a $75,000 Income
Create a monthly budget framework for someone earning $75,000 per year in {location} with {household_situation}. Work from net pay, not gross, and show the difference explicitly. Allocate across housing, transport, food, utilities, insurance, debt service, savings and discretionary spending, giving both a percentage guideline and what it means in currency at this income. There is genuine room to optimise here. Focus on tax-advantaged account ordering, raising the savings rate ahead of lifestyle, and building the emergency fund to a full target rather than a starter one. Compare 50/30/20 against zero-based budgeting and say which suits this situation and why. Include the emergency fund target with the reasoning behind the number, the order in which to prioritise competing goals, and a simple monthly review. State clearly that this is an educational framework, not personalised financial advice, and name the situations where a qualified adviser is genuinely warranted.
Personal Budget Plan on a $100,000 Income
Create a monthly budget framework for someone earning $100,000 per year in {location} with {household_situation}. Work from net pay, not gross, and show the difference explicitly. Allocate across housing, transport, food, utilities, insurance, debt service, savings and discretionary spending, giving both a percentage guideline and what it means in currency at this income. Lifestyle inflation is the main threat at this level. Address the ordering of tax-advantaged accounts, what to do once they are maxed, and setting a deliberate spending ceiling rather than letting it drift with income. Compare 50/30/20 against zero-based budgeting and say which suits this situation and why. Include the emergency fund target with the reasoning behind the number, the order in which to prioritise competing goals, and a simple monthly review. State clearly that this is an educational framework, not personalised financial advice, and name the situations where a qualified adviser is genuinely warranted.
Personal Budget Plan on a $150,000 Income
Create a monthly budget framework for someone earning $150,000 per year in {location} with {household_situation}. Work from net pay, not gross, and show the difference explicitly. Allocate across housing, transport, food, utilities, insurance, debt service, savings and discretionary spending, giving both a percentage guideline and what it means in currency at this income. Cover the phase-outs and contribution limits that start to bind, taxable investing after tax-advantaged space is used, and the fact that marginal tax rate now materially changes the value of each decision. Compare 50/30/20 against zero-based budgeting and say which suits this situation and why. Include the emergency fund target with the reasoning behind the number, the order in which to prioritise competing goals, and a simple monthly review. State clearly that this is an educational framework, not personalised financial advice, and name the situations where a qualified adviser is genuinely warranted.
Investment Portfolio Strategy: Conservative / Capital Preservation
Explain a Conservative / Capital Preservation investment approach for an investor with {time_horizon} and {risk_tolerance}. Cover asset allocation across equities, fixed income, cash and any alternatives, with the reasoning behind each weighting rather than a bare percentage. Prioritise capital preservation and liquidity over growth. Discuss the real risk that a low-volatility portfolio loses purchasing power to inflation over long horizons — 'safe' is not risk-free, the risk is simply a different one. Address diversification across geography, sector and market capitalisation, the difference fees and taxes make over the horizon, the rebalancing rule and its trigger, and the behavioural risks that destroy more returns than allocation choices do. Include the specific questions an investor should answer about their own situation before applying any of it. State clearly and prominently that this is educational information about portfolio construction and not personalised investment advice, and that individual circumstances require a licensed adviser.
Investment Portfolio Strategy: Balanced / Moderate Growth
Explain a Balanced / Moderate Growth investment approach for an investor with {time_horizon} and {risk_tolerance}. Cover asset allocation across equities, fixed income, cash and any alternatives, with the reasoning behind each weighting rather than a bare percentage. Cover the classic growth-and-income split, the mechanics and tax consequences of rebalancing, and why a moderate allocation held through a drawdown usually beats an aggressive one abandoned during it. Address diversification across geography, sector and market capitalisation, the difference fees and taxes make over the horizon, the rebalancing rule and its trigger, and the behavioural risks that destroy more returns than allocation choices do. Include the specific questions an investor should answer about their own situation before applying any of it. State clearly and prominently that this is educational information about portfolio construction and not personalised investment advice, and that individual circumstances require a licensed adviser.
Investment Portfolio Strategy: Aggressive Growth
Explain a Aggressive Growth investment approach for an investor with {time_horizon} and {risk_tolerance}. Cover asset allocation across equities, fixed income, cash and any alternatives, with the reasoning behind each weighting rather than a bare percentage. Be explicit about drawdown tolerance: model what a 40-50% decline means in currency terms, not percentages, because that is the number that causes people to sell at the bottom. Require a long horizon and no near-term need for the capital. Address diversification across geography, sector and market capitalisation, the difference fees and taxes make over the horizon, the rebalancing rule and its trigger, and the behavioural risks that destroy more returns than allocation choices do. Include the specific questions an investor should answer about their own situation before applying any of it. State clearly and prominently that this is educational information about portfolio construction and not personalised investment advice, and that individual circumstances require a licensed adviser.
Investment Portfolio Strategy: Retirement Accumulation
Explain a Retirement Accumulation investment approach for an investor with {time_horizon} and {risk_tolerance}. Cover asset allocation across equities, fixed income, cash and any alternatives, with the reasoning behind each weighting rather than a bare percentage. Cover glide paths as the horizon shortens, the account-type ordering and its tax implications, sequence-of-returns risk near the transition to drawdown, and why fees compound as destructively as returns do. Address diversification across geography, sector and market capitalisation, the difference fees and taxes make over the horizon, the rebalancing rule and its trigger, and the behavioural risks that destroy more returns than allocation choices do. Include the specific questions an investor should answer about their own situation before applying any of it. State clearly and prominently that this is educational information about portfolio construction and not personalised investment advice, and that individual circumstances require a licensed adviser.
Investment Portfolio Strategy: Short-Term Goals
Explain a Short-Term Goals investment approach for an investor with {time_horizon} and {risk_tolerance}. Cover asset allocation across equities, fixed income, cash and any alternatives, with the reasoning behind each weighting rather than a bare percentage. The central point is that money needed within roughly five years generally does not belong in equities at all. Cover cash equivalents, short-duration instruments, and matching instrument maturity to the date the money is needed. Address diversification across geography, sector and market capitalisation, the difference fees and taxes make over the horizon, the rebalancing rule and its trigger, and the behavioural risks that destroy more returns than allocation choices do. Include the specific questions an investor should answer about their own situation before applying any of it. State clearly and prominently that this is educational information about portfolio construction and not personalised investment advice, and that individual circumstances require a licensed adviser.
3-Year Financial Forecast for a Startup
Build a 3-year financial forecast for a Startup currently at {current_state}. Produce the three linked statements — P&L, cash flow and balance sheet — and make the links explicit, since a forecast where they do not tie is not a forecast. Runway is the number that matters most: show months of cash remaining under each scenario and the date of the next raise. Headcount is usually the dominant cost line, so model hiring explicitly by role and start month. Drive revenue from volume and price assumptions rather than a growth percentage, and separate fixed from variable costs. Present three scenarios (conservative, base, optimistic) with the assumption changes visible, and identify which single assumption the outcome is most sensitive to. List every assumption in one place with its source or rationale, mark which are researched and which are guesses, and state the month cash gets tightest and what the plan is if it does.
3-Year Financial Forecast for a Small Business
Build a 3-year financial forecast for a Small Business currently at {current_state}. Produce the three linked statements — P&L, cash flow and balance sheet — and make the links explicit, since a forecast where they do not tie is not a forecast. Model seasonality honestly and the working-capital cycle — a profitable small business fails from cash timing far more often than from margin. Separate owner compensation from profit. Drive revenue from volume and price assumptions rather than a growth percentage, and separate fixed from variable costs. Present three scenarios (conservative, base, optimistic) with the assumption changes visible, and identify which single assumption the outcome is most sensitive to. List every assumption in one place with its source or rationale, mark which are researched and which are guesses, and state the month cash gets tightest and what the plan is if it does.
3-Year Financial Forecast for an E-commerce Store
Build a 3-year financial forecast for an E-commerce Store currently at {current_state}. Produce the three linked statements — P&L, cash flow and balance sheet — and make the links explicit, since a forecast where they do not tie is not a forecast. Inventory is the cash trap: model purchase timing, holding cost and the gap between paying suppliers and receiving customer payments. Include returns and blended CAC, which quietly erode contribution margin. Drive revenue from volume and price assumptions rather than a growth percentage, and separate fixed from variable costs. Present three scenarios (conservative, base, optimistic) with the assumption changes visible, and identify which single assumption the outcome is most sensitive to. List every assumption in one place with its source or rationale, mark which are researched and which are guesses, and state the month cash gets tightest and what the plan is if it does.
3-Year Financial Forecast for a Consulting Firm
Build a 3-year financial forecast for a Consulting Firm currently at {current_state}. Produce the three linked statements — P&L, cash flow and balance sheet — and make the links explicit, since a forecast where they do not tie is not a forecast. Revenue is capacity-bound, so model billable headcount, realistic utilisation (rarely above 70%), bill rates and the bench. Include the pipeline coverage ratio needed to keep utilisation stable. Drive revenue from volume and price assumptions rather than a growth percentage, and separate fixed from variable costs. Present three scenarios (conservative, base, optimistic) with the assumption changes visible, and identify which single assumption the outcome is most sensitive to. List every assumption in one place with its source or rationale, mark which are researched and which are guesses, and state the month cash gets tightest and what the plan is if it does.
3-Year Financial Forecast for a SaaS Company
Build a 3-year financial forecast for a SaaS Company currently at {current_state}. Produce the three linked statements — P&L, cash flow and balance sheet — and make the links explicit, since a forecast where they do not tie is not a forecast. Build up from the customer cohort rather than assuming a growth rate: new customers, churn, expansion, and the resulting net revenue retention. Distinguish bookings, billings and recognised revenue, which are routinely conflated. Drive revenue from volume and price assumptions rather than a growth percentage, and separate fixed from variable costs. Present three scenarios (conservative, base, optimistic) with the assumption changes visible, and identify which single assumption the outcome is most sensitive to. List every assumption in one place with its source or rationale, mark which are researched and which are guesses, and state the month cash gets tightest and what the plan is if it does.
Tax Optimization Strategy for a Freelancer
Explain tax planning considerations for a Freelancer in {jurisdiction} with {income_situation}. Cover self-employment tax, quarterly estimated payments and the penalty for underpaying, the home-office and equipment deductions with their actual substantiation requirements, and retirement vehicles available to the self-employed. Structure it as: the mechanisms that legitimately reduce taxable income, the timing decisions available, the record-keeping each one requires to survive scrutiny, and the annual calendar of deadlines. Be precise about the difference between tax avoidance, which is lawful planning, and evasion, which is not — and flag any strategy that is aggressive enough to invite challenge. State clearly that tax law is jurisdiction-specific and changes frequently, that this is general educational information rather than tax advice, and identify the situations where a qualified tax professional is not optional. Mark every point where the answer depends on facts not supplied.
Tax Optimization Strategy for a Small Business Owner
Explain tax planning considerations for a Small Business Owner in {jurisdiction} with {income_situation}. Cover entity structure and how it changes the tax treatment of profit, reasonable compensation where it applies, the distinction between deductible business expenses and personal ones, and depreciation choices. Structure it as: the mechanisms that legitimately reduce taxable income, the timing decisions available, the record-keeping each one requires to survive scrutiny, and the annual calendar of deadlines. Be precise about the difference between tax avoidance, which is lawful planning, and evasion, which is not — and flag any strategy that is aggressive enough to invite challenge. State clearly that tax law is jurisdiction-specific and changes frequently, that this is general educational information rather than tax advice, and identify the situations where a qualified tax professional is not optional. Mark every point where the answer depends on facts not supplied.
Tax Optimization Strategy for a High-Income Earner
Explain tax planning considerations for a High-Income Earner in {jurisdiction} with {income_situation}. Cover marginal versus effective rate, the deductions and credits that phase out at higher incomes, tax-loss harvesting, charitable giving structures, and the timing of income and deductions across tax years. Structure it as: the mechanisms that legitimately reduce taxable income, the timing decisions available, the record-keeping each one requires to survive scrutiny, and the annual calendar of deadlines. Be precise about the difference between tax avoidance, which is lawful planning, and evasion, which is not — and flag any strategy that is aggressive enough to invite challenge. State clearly that tax law is jurisdiction-specific and changes frequently, that this is general educational information rather than tax advice, and identify the situations where a qualified tax professional is not optional. Mark every point where the answer depends on facts not supplied.
Tax Optimization Strategy for an Investor
Explain tax planning considerations for an Investor in {jurisdiction} with {income_situation}. Cover the short- versus long-term capital gains distinction, holding periods, wash-sale rules, asset location across taxable and tax-advantaged accounts, and the tax drag of fund distributions. Structure it as: the mechanisms that legitimately reduce taxable income, the timing decisions available, the record-keeping each one requires to survive scrutiny, and the annual calendar of deadlines. Be precise about the difference between tax avoidance, which is lawful planning, and evasion, which is not — and flag any strategy that is aggressive enough to invite challenge. State clearly that tax law is jurisdiction-specific and changes frequently, that this is general educational information rather than tax advice, and identify the situations where a qualified tax professional is not optional. Mark every point where the answer depends on facts not supplied.
Tax Optimization Strategy for a W-2 Employee
Explain tax planning considerations for a W-2 Employee in {jurisdiction} with {income_situation}. Options are narrower here, so focus on what actually exists: pre-tax contributions, HSA and FSA where eligible, the employer match, withholding accuracy, and the standard versus itemised deduction decision. Structure it as: the mechanisms that legitimately reduce taxable income, the timing decisions available, the record-keeping each one requires to survive scrutiny, and the annual calendar of deadlines. Be precise about the difference between tax avoidance, which is lawful planning, and evasion, which is not — and flag any strategy that is aggressive enough to invite challenge. State clearly that tax law is jurisdiction-specific and changes frequently, that this is general educational information rather than tax advice, and identify the situations where a qualified tax professional is not optional. Mark every point where the answer depends on facts not supplied.
Debt Payoff Plan: the Snowball Method
Build a debt payoff plan using the Snowball Method for someone with {debts} and {monthly_surplus} available each month. Order debts smallest balance first regardless of rate. Be honest that this costs more in total interest than the avalanche, and that its justification is behavioural: early wins sustain the effort, and a plan someone actually finishes beats a cheaper one they abandon. Produce a month-by-month schedule showing balances, interest accrued, payments and the payoff date for each debt, plus total interest paid over the life of the plan. Compare it against the alternative methods so the trade-off is explicit in both money and months. Cover what to do about the emergency fund while paying down debt, since having none guarantees new debt at the first setback, and how to handle a missed month without abandoning the plan. Note when debt is severe enough that credit counselling or insolvency advice is the appropriate route, and state that this is educational rather than personalised advice.
Debt Payoff Plan: the Avalanche Method
Build a debt payoff plan using the Avalanche Method for someone with {debts} and {monthly_surplus} available each month. Order debts by highest interest rate first. This minimises total interest mathematically, but note the drawback: if the largest-rate debt is also the largest balance, there may be no visible progress for months, which is where people quit. Produce a month-by-month schedule showing balances, interest accrued, payments and the payoff date for each debt, plus total interest paid over the life of the plan. Compare it against the alternative methods so the trade-off is explicit in both money and months. Cover what to do about the emergency fund while paying down debt, since having none guarantees new debt at the first setback, and how to handle a missed month without abandoning the plan. Note when debt is severe enough that credit counselling or insolvency advice is the appropriate route, and state that this is educational rather than personalised advice.
Debt Payoff Plan: Consolidation
Build a debt payoff plan using Consolidation for someone with {debts} and {monthly_surplus} available each month. Model the full cost including origination fees, the new rate against the weighted average of current rates, and the term — a lower monthly payment over a longer term frequently costs more overall. State plainly that consolidation without changing the spending behaviour that created the debt typically results in carrying both. Produce a month-by-month schedule showing balances, interest accrued, payments and the payoff date for each debt, plus total interest paid over the life of the plan. Compare it against the alternative methods so the trade-off is explicit in both money and months. Cover what to do about the emergency fund while paying down debt, since having none guarantees new debt at the first setback, and how to handle a missed month without abandoning the plan. Note when debt is severe enough that credit counselling or insolvency advice is the appropriate route, and state that this is educational rather than personalised advice.