AI Prompts for Claude for Finance

I want an honest read on my financial health, not a reassuring one. Here is my situation: income [AMOUNT], essential expenses [AMOUNT], total savings [AMOUNT], total debt [DESCRIBE TYPES AND AMOUNTS], any investments [DESCRIBE]. Given these numbers, tell me honestly where I stand. What is the most significant financial problem in my situation? What is a genuine strength I can build on? What would a financial advisor most want to flag if they saw this picture?

My financial situation is not where I want it to be. Here is my situation: [DESCRIBE]. Here is what I have tried: [DESCRIBE PAST ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE FINANCES]. The results: [DESCRIBE]. Help me understand why I am stuck. I want to look past the surface level and understand the real barriers, whether they are structural (income too low, expenses unavoidably high), behavioural (spending patterns, avoidance), or knowledge gaps. Give me an honest diagnosis and tell me where to focus first.

I have some beliefs about money and finance that I am not sure are actually correct. Here are the beliefs I hold: [LIST: E.G. INVESTING IS RISKY, I NEED TO EARN MORE BEFORE I CAN SAVE, RENTING IS THROWING MONEY AWAY, I WILL SORT IT OUT LATER]. Challenge each one honestly. For each belief, tell me where it is accurate, where it is wrong or oversimplified, and what a more useful version of the belief looks like. I want to update my mental models, not just feel better.

I am facing a major life decision that has significant financial implications. The decision is: [DESCRIBE: E.G. CHANGING CAREERS, MOVING CITIES, HAVING A CHILD, BUYING A HOME, LEAVING A RELATIONSHIP, STARTING A BUSINESS]. The financial variables involved: [DESCRIBE]. What I am currently leaning toward and why: [DESCRIBE]. Help me think through the financial dimension of this decision carefully. What are the key numbers I need to know? What am I likely underestimating? What is the realistic financial impact of each option over 5 years?

I have limited financial bandwidth and want to focus on the change that will have the most impact on my financial situation. Here is where I am: [DESCRIBE INCOME, SAVINGS, DEBT, GOALS]. The options I am considering: [LIST: E.G. INCREASE INCOME, REDUCE SPENDING, PAY OFF DEBT, START INVESTING, BUILD EMERGENCY FUND]. Help me reason through which of these has the highest expected impact for my specific situation. I want you to make a clear recommendation with the reasoning, not just list the pros and cons of each.

I have tried detailed budgeting and it does not stick for me. Here is why: [DESCRIBE WHAT GOES WRONG: E.G. I FORGET TO TRACK, I FIND IT RESTRICTIVE, I GET DISCOURAGED WHEN I OVERSPEND ONE CATEGORY]. My financial goals: [DESCRIBE]. My monthly income and rough expenses: [DESCRIBE]. Help me design a simpler budgeting approach that matches my psychology. What is the minimum viable financial tracking system that would give me enough control without the overhead that has made me quit in the past?

I am considering a significant purchase or spending decision: [DESCRIBE: E.G. BUYING A CAR, HOME RENOVATION, EXPENSIVE HOLIDAY, PREMIUM PRODUCT OR SERVICE]. The cost is: [AMOUNT]. My current financial situation: [BRIEF SUMMARY]. My financial goals: [DESCRIBE]. Help me think through whether this is the right decision. What are the genuine arguments for and against? What am I likely rationalising? What is the opportunity cost of this spending? Give me a clear recommendation based on my situation.

I want my savings to happen automatically so I am not relying on remembering or willpower. My monthly income: [AMOUNT] arriving on [DATE]. My financial goals and target savings amounts: [DESCRIBE]. My current account structure: [DESCRIBE: E.G. ONE BANK ACCOUNT, SEPARATE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS]. Help me design a simple automatic savings system: which transfers to set up, in what amounts, on what dates, and to which accounts, so that saving happens before I have a chance to spend the money.

I struggle with the tension between enjoying life now and building financial security for the future. Here is how this plays out for me: [DESCRIBE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES]. My current financial situation: [DESCRIBE]. My financial goals: [DESCRIBE]. Help me think through this trade-off honestly. What is a reasonable balance for someone in my situation? Am I underweighting the future, underweighting the present, or is the tension actually a sign of a system design problem I can solve? Give me a framework for making individual spending decisions that accounts for both priorities.

My finances are a consistent source of stress and I want to reduce that even before I have solved all the underlying problems. Here is what stresses me most about my money: [DESCRIBE: E.G. NOT KNOWING WHERE I STAND, FEAR OF RUNNING OUT, DEBT, UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURE]. My actual financial situation: [DESCRIBE]. Help me identify what would reduce my financial stress most effectively. Is it building a specific buffer, getting more clarity on my numbers, having a clearer plan, or something structural? Give me the specific change that would have the most impact on the stress level, even if it does not fully solve the underlying problem.

I am trying to decide whether to invest or pay off debt first. My debts: [LIST EACH WITH BALANCE AND INTEREST RATE]. My potential investment amount per month: [AMOUNT]. My current investment situation: [DESCRIBE: E.G. NO INVESTMENTS, HAVE A PENSION, SOME SAVINGS IN CASH]. My emergency fund status: [DESCRIBE]. Walk me through the mathematical and psychological case for each approach in my specific situation. Then give me a clear recommendation for how to split my surplus money between debt and investing, with the reasoning.

I am considering [DESCRIBE THE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY: E.G. PUTTING MONEY INTO AN INDEX FUND, BUYING A RENTAL PROPERTY, INVESTING IN A FRIEND'S BUSINESS, A SPECIFIC FUND OR PRODUCT SOMEONE RECOMMENDED]. Here is what I know about it: [DESCRIBE]. My financial situation and investment experience: [DESCRIBE]. Help me think through this opportunity clearly. What are the genuine upsides? What are the risks, including the ones that are easy to underestimate? What would change whether this is a good idea? I want a balanced, honest evaluation, not reassurance.

I am interested in understanding what financial independence or earlier retirement would look like for me. I am [AGE] years old. My current financial situation: [DESCRIBE INCOME, SAVINGS, INVESTMENTS, EXPENSES]. My target lifestyle in retirement: [DESCRIBE ROUGH MONTHLY COST]. Help me understand: what my financial independence number is, whether my current trajectory gets me there and when, and what the most impactful changes would be to reach it sooner. Give me a grounded, realistic picture rather than an optimistic one.

I want to understand my actual risk tolerance when it comes to investing, not just what I say when markets are up. Help me think through this clearly. Here is my situation: age [AGE], time horizon [DESCRIBE], financial goals [DESCRIBE], income stability [DESCRIBE], current portfolio or savings [DESCRIBE]. How should I think about risk given my specific circumstances? What questions should I be asking myself to understand how I will actually behave when my investments drop? How does my risk tolerance affect the right investment approach for me?

I am planning for a financial goal that is [X] years away: [DESCRIBE THE GOAL: E.G. DOWN PAYMENT ON A HOME, FUNDING CHILDREN'S EDUCATION, A SIGNIFICANT CAREER CHANGE, A MAJOR PURCHASE]. The amount I will likely need: [ESTIMATE]. My current savings toward this: [AMOUNT]. My monthly contribution capacity: [AMOUNT]. Help me build a realistic plan for this goal. Am I on track? If not, what needs to change? What should I do with this money given the time horizon? What are the biggest risks to the plan and how do I mitigate them?

There is a financial decision I have been avoiding because it feels complicated or uncomfortable. The decision is: [DESCRIBE]. Why I have been avoiding it: [DESCRIBE]. What I know and what I am uncertain about: [DESCRIBE EACH]. Help me face this decision directly. What is the cost of continuing to avoid it? What information do I actually need to make this decision? What is the most likely right answer given what I know now, and what would need to be true for a different answer to be better?

I am navigating a financial disagreement or tension in a relationship: [DESCRIBE: E.G. WITH A PARTNER ABOUT SPENDING HABITS, WITH FAMILY ABOUT FINANCIAL SUPPORT, WITH A CO-OWNER ABOUT A SHARED ASSET]. Here is my perspective: [DESCRIBE]. Here is the other person's perspective as I understand it: [DESCRIBE]. Help me think through this clearly. What is the legitimate concern on each side? What does a fair resolution look like? What is a practical conversation I can have to move toward a resolution rather than just restating positions?

I am considering a significant, hard-to-reverse financial commitment: [DESCRIBE: E.G. BUYING A HOME, STARTING A BUSINESS, MAKING A LARGE INVESTMENT, CO-SIGNING A LOAN]. The details: [DESCRIBE AMOUNT, TIMELINE, IMPLICATIONS]. My current financial situation: [DESCRIBE]. What I am most uncertain about: [DESCRIBE]. Help me evaluate this decision carefully. What would I need to believe for this to be a good decision? What am I most likely underestimating about the cost or risk? What is my exit if things go wrong? Give me a clear-eyed assessment before I commit.

I have received or am about to receive a financial windfall: [DESCRIBE: E.G. INHERITANCE, BONUS, SALE OF PROPERTY OR BUSINESS, SETTLEMENT]. The amount is roughly: [AMOUNT]. My current financial situation: [DESCRIBE DEBTS, SAVINGS, GOALS]. My instinct about what to do with it: [DESCRIBE]. Help me think through how to handle this wisely. What are the most common mistakes people make with unexpected money? What is the right order of operations given my situation? How do I balance the temptation to spend it immediately with using it in a way I will not regret?

I have a financial plan I want to stress-test before committing to it. Here is the plan: [DESCRIBE: E.G. BUDGET, INVESTMENT APPROACH, DEBT PAYOFF STRATEGY, RETIREMENT PLAN]. Here are the assumptions it relies on: [LIST]. Help me pressure-test this plan. What are the most likely scenarios where it fails? What am I assuming that might not hold? What is my plan if income drops, an emergency hits, or my circumstances change significantly? Tell me the two or three things most likely to derail this plan and what I should build in to handle them.