25 AI Prompts Every Financial Analyst Should Save

Generative AI is a powerful tool, but its output is only as good as your input. For finance professionals, where precision and context are everything, generic one-line prompts are useless. A well-crafted prompt can turn a large language model (LLM) like Claude or ChatGPT into a capable junior analyst; a lazy one generates plausible-sounding nonsense that can introduce serious errors.

This is a professional-grade prompt library. We’ve moved beyond “summarize this 10-K” to prompts that handle specific, daily-driver tasks for financial planning & analysis (FP&A), financial modeling, month-end close, treasury, and audit preparation. Each prompt is designed to be copied, pasted, and filled with your data. We also show you what a good output looks like and recommend the best AI tool for the job, based on our testing. For a complete look at how these tools fit into the modern finance stack, see our guide to AI in Finance.

What Makes a Good Finance Prompt?

The difference between a helpful AI response and a dangerously incorrect one comes down to the quality of the prompt. After testing hundreds of variations, we found the best finance prompts share four characteristics:

1. Role and Goal: Start by telling the AI who it is and what its objective is. For example, “You are a senior FP&A analyst preparing a variance commentary for the CFO.”
2. Structured Context & Data: Provide all necessary information clearly. Use markdown tables for numerical data, paste in full transcripts, or use bracketed placeholders like [insert data here].
3. Explicit Format: Define the output. Do you need a markdown table, a JSON object, a bulleted list of insights, or draft email copy? Specify it.
4. Constraints and Guardrails: Tell the AI what *not* to do. “Do not invent data. If information is missing, state ‘NOT PROVIDED’. Focus only on the data provided.”

Great prompts aren’t about tricking the AI; they are about providing the clarity and constraints a real-world junior analyst would need to succeed.

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FP&A & Forecasting Prompts (5)

These prompts help with core financial planning and analysis tasks, from creating initial forecast drafts to analyzing key business drivers.

1. Draft a Revenue Forecast Narrative

You are a senior FP&A analyst at a B2B SaaS company. Your task is to write a draft executive summary for the upcoming quarterly revenue forecast.
Use the historical and projected data provided below to build a narrative. Start with the top-line number, then break it down by the key drivers: New Business, Expansion, and Churn. For each driver, explain the trend and reference the specific data points. Conclude with the primary risk and the primary opportunity to the forecast.
The tone should be objective and data-driven for a CFO audience. The output should be a 3-paragraph summary.
**Historical Data (Q3 Actuals):**
- Total Revenue: $12.5M
- New Business ARR: $1.2M
- Expansion ARR: $0.8M
- Churn ARR: -$0.5M
**Forecast Data (Q4 Projections):**
- Total Revenue: $13.8M
- New Business ARR: $1.5M (driven by new marketing campaign launched in August)
- Expansion ARR: $0.7M (slight dip due to product-tier saturation in enterprise segment)
- Churn ARR: -$0.4M (improvement due to new customer success initiatives)
**Primary Risk:** [Specify a risk, e.g., "Potential for a competitor's new product launch to impact New Business pipeline in December."]
**Primary Opportunity:** [Specify an opportunity, e.g., "Early positive signals from the new marketing campaign could lead to upside on the $1.5M New Business target."]
Do not include any information not present in the data provided.

Best Tool: Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Its strength in handling nuance and generating natural, high-quality prose makes it ideal for drafting narratives. Sample Output: > For Q4, we are forecasting total revenue of $13.8M, a sequential increase of $1.3M from Q3 actuals. This growth is primarily driven by a projected $1.5M in New Business ARR, which is supported by the launch of a new marketing campaign in August. This positive momentum is partially offset by a projected slight dip in Expansion ARR to $0.7M, reflecting saturation in our enterprise segment, while Churn ARR is expected to improve to -$0.4M due to recent customer success initiatives. > > The primary driver of the forecast is the performance of the new marketing campaign; early positive signals suggest a potential upside to the $1.5M New Business target, representing the key opportunity in this forecast. > > Conversely, the main risk to the Q4 number is a potential competitor product launch in December, which could negatively impact the New Business pipeline toward the end of the quarter. We will be monitoring lead volume and win/loss rates closely.

2. Identify Key Drivers from Financial Data

| Account              | Actual YTD | Budget YTD | Variance | vs. Prior Year |
|----------------------|------------|------------|----------|----------------|
| Revenue              | 1,500,000  | 1,450,000  | 50,000   | 15%            |
| COGS                 | 600,000    | 610,000    | 10,000   | 12%            |
| Gross Profit         | 900,000    | 840,000    | 60,000   | 17%            |
| Sales & Marketing    | 350,000    | 300,000    | (50,000) | 25%            |
| R&D                  | 200,000    | 210,000    | 10,000   | 10%            |
| G&A                  | 150,000    | 160,000    | 10,000   | 8%             |
| Operating Income     | 200,000    | 170,000    | 30,000   | 11%            |
| Interest Expense     | 20,000     | 25,000     | 5,000    | -5%            |
| Net Income           | 180,000    | 145,000    | 35,000   | 13%            |

Best Tool: ChatGPT with GPT-4o. It excels at structured data analysis and table generation. Sample Output: | Rank | Line Item | Variance (vs. Budget) | Hypothesis | | :— | :— | :— | :— | | 1 | Sales & Marketing | ($50,000) | Unplanned spending on a new campaign or higher-than-expected lead generation costs drove the unfavorable variance. | | 2 | Revenue | $50,000 | Higher-than-expected sales volume or favorable pricing likely drove the revenue beat. | | 3 | COGS | $10,000 | Favorable input costs or manufacturing efficiencies likely resulted in lower cost of goods sold. | | 4 | R&D | $10,000 | Delayed project spending or lower-than-budgeted headcount could explain the favorable variance. | | 5 | G&A | $10,000 | Lower-than-expected legal or administrative costs contributed to the favorable variance. |

3. Generate DAX Formula for Power BI

You are a Power BI expert specializing in DAX measures. I need a formula to calculate the Year-over-Year (YoY) revenue growth percentage.
My data model has a 'Sales' table with a 'Revenue' column and a 'Date' table with a 'Date' column. The tables have a relationship on the date field.
Provide the complete, ready-to-use DAX measure. Include brief comments in the code explaining what each part of the formula does.

Best Tool: Power BI with Copilot. It’s integrated directly and understands the data model, but ChatGPT with GPT-4o is also a strong option for generating standalone DAX. As with any generated formula, test it against your own data model before relying on it. Sample Output: “`dax Revenue YoY % = VAR CurrentYearRevenue = SUM ( Sales[Revenue] ) — Calculate the total revenue for the current period in the filter context.

VAR PreviousYearRevenue = CALCULATE ( SUM ( Sales[Revenue] ), SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR ( ‘Date'[Date] ) ) — Calculate the total revenue for the same period in the previous year.

RETURN DIVIDE ( CurrentYearRevenue – PreviousYearRevenue, PreviousYearRevenue ) — Calculate the percentage difference, using DIVIDE() to handle potential division by zero errors gracefully. “`

4. Create a Rolling Forecast

You are an FP&A analyst building a 12-month rolling forecast. I have provided the last 3 months of actuals and the next 9 months of the original budget.
Your task is to create a new "Rolling Forecast" line item. For the first 3 months, use the actuals. For the subsequent 9 months, use the original budget figures.
Present the output as a markdown table with columns for "Month", "Actuals", "Budget", and "Rolling Forecast".
**Data:**
- **Actuals:** Jan: $100K, Feb: $105K, Mar: $110K
- **Budget:** Apr: $112K, May: $115K, Jun: $118K, Jul: $120K, Aug: $122K, Sep: $125K, Oct: $128K, Nov: $130K, Dec: $135K

Best Tool: Any general-purpose LLM like Gemini or ChatGPT works well for this simple data manipulation task. Sample Output: | Month | Actuals | Budget | Rolling Forecast | | :— | :— | :— | :— | | Jan | $100K | | $100K | | Feb | $105K | | $105K | | Mar | $110K | | $110K | | Apr | | $112K | $112K | | May | | $115K | $115K | | Jun | | $118K | $118K | | Jul | | $120K | $120K | | Aug | | $122K | $122K | | Sep | | $125K | $125K | | Oct | | $128K | $128K | | Nov | | $130K | $130K | | Dec | | $135K | $135K |

5. Sensitivity Analysis Setup

You are a financial modeling expert. I am building a DCF model and want to perform a sensitivity analysis on the valuation.
The key drivers I want to sensitize are:
1. WACC (Weighted Average Cost of Capital): Base case is 8.0%. I want to test a range from 7.0% to 9.0% in 0.5% increments.
2. Terminal Growth Rate: Base case is 2.5%. I want to test a range from 2.0% to 3.0% in 0.25% increments.
Generate a markdown table that I can use in Excel for the sensitivity analysis. The WACC should be on the y-axis (rows) and the Terminal Growth Rate on the x-axis (columns). The cells should be left empty for the valuation outputs.

Best Tool: ChatGPT. It’s excellent at creating structured tables for direct use in spreadsheets. Sample Output: | WACC / Growth | 2.00% | 2.25% | 2.50% (Base) | 2.75% | 3.00% | | :— | :—: | :—: | :—: | :—: | :—: | | 7.00% | | | | | | | 7.50% | | | | | | | 8.00% (Base) | | | | | | | 8.50% | | | | | | | 9.00% | | | | | |

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Financial Modeling & Scenario Analysis Prompts (5)

From building out assumptions to stress-testing your model, these prompts help accelerate the modeling process.

6. Brainstorm Model Assumptions

You are a senior investment banking analyst building a 5-year financial model for a publicly traded coffee company like Starbucks.
My task is to create a list of key drivers and assumptions needed to build the revenue forecast and the cost structure. For each assumption, provide a brief rationale and a potential data source to verify it.
Organize the output into two sections: "Revenue Drivers" and "Cost Drivers". The output should be a bulleted list.

Best Tool: Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Its broad knowledge base is great for brainstorming and providing contextual rationale. Sample Output: > Revenue Drivers > * Same-Store Sales Growth (%): Key driver for mature retail. *Rationale:* Measures growth from existing locations, indicating brand health. *Source:* Company’s 10-K/10-Q filings, investor presentations. > * New Store Openings (Count): Primary driver of expansion revenue. *Rationale:* Directly adds new revenue streams. *Source:* Company’s quarterly earnings calls, management guidance. > * Average Ticket Size ($): Measures how much customers spend per transaction. *Rationale:* Can be influenced by price increases or changes in product mix. *Source:* Often discussed in earnings call transcripts. > * Licensed Store Revenue Growth (%): Growth from partners operating stores. *Rationale:* High-margin revenue stream. *Source:* Segment data in 10-K. > > Cost Drivers > * Green Coffee Bean Prices ($/lb): Major component of COGS. *Rationale:* Volatile commodity price directly impacts gross margin. *Source:* Coffee futures market data (e.g., ICE), company disclosures on hedging. > * Store Labor Costs (% of Revenue): Largest operating expense. *Rationale:* Driven by wage inflation and store staffing levels. *Source:* Company’s operating expense breakdown, minimum wage legislation. > * Rent Expense Growth (%): Significant fixed cost. *Rationale:* Reflects lease renewals and new store locations. *Source:* Inferred from operating lease liabilities in financial statements.

7. Create a Scenario Analysis Outline

You are a strategic finance analyst. I need to create three scenarios for our 2027 financial plan: a Base Case, an Upside Case, and a Downside Case.
The company is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce business selling apparel. The key drivers are:
- Website Traffic Growth
- Conversion Rate
- Average Order Value (AOV)
- Gross Margin %
For each of the three scenarios (Upside, Base, Downside), define a plausible set of assumptions for these four drivers. Present the output as a markdown table.

Best Tool: Any general-purpose LLM. Sample Output: | Driver | Downside Case | Base Case | Upside Case | | :— | :— | :— | :— | | Website Traffic Growth | +5% YoY | +15% YoY | +25% YoY | | Conversion Rate | 2.0% | 2.5% | 3.0% | | Average Order Value (AOV) | $75 | $80 | $90 | | Gross Margin % | 48% | 50% | 52% |

8. Translate Business Logic into Excel Formula

You are an expert in Excel formulas. I need to translate a business rule into a formula for calculating sales commissions.
The rule is:
- If a sale is less than $5,000, the commission rate is 5%.
- If a sale is between $5,000 and $10,000 (inclusive), the commission rate is 7.5%.
- If a sale is greater than $10,000, the commission rate is 10%.
The sale amount is in cell `A2`. Provide an Excel formula that calculates the total commission amount (Sale Amount * Commission Rate).

Best Tool: ChatGPT is generally strong at generating clear, efficient Excel formulas, but always verify the formula’s boundary conditions against your own data before relying on it. Sample Output: “excel =A2 * IFS(A2 > 10000, 0.10, A2 >= 5000, 0.075, A2 < 5000, 0.05)` Alternative using nested IFs (for older Excel versions):`excel =A2 * IF(A2 > 10000, 0.10, IF(A2 >= 5000, 0.075, 0.05))“

9. Draft LBO Model Entry Multiple Justification

You are a private equity associate writing an investment committee memo. I need to justify our proposed entry multiple for an LBO of a target company.
**Target:** A mature industrial manufacturing company.
**Proposed Entry Multiple:** 8.0x LTM EBITDA.
Draft a short paragraph justifying this multiple. Reference the following points:
- The median multiple for comparable public companies is 9.5x.
- The median multiple for precedent M&A transactions is 9.0x.
- Our proposed multiple represents a discount to public and private comps.
- The discount is justified due to [insert justification, e.g., "the target's lower growth profile and customer concentration risk"].

Best Tool: Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Excellent for crafting formal, professional prose for memos and reports. Sample Output: > We are proposing an entry multiple of 8.0x LTM EBITDA. This valuation represents a compelling discount of approximately 16% and 11% to the median LTM EBITDA multiples of comparable public companies (9.5x) and precedent M&A transactions (9.0x), respectively. We believe this discount is appropriate and defensible, primarily reflecting the target’s lower-than-average growth profile and significant customer concentration risk relative to the peer group. This disciplined entry point provides a meaningful margin of safety and enhances the potential for multiple expansion upon exit.

10. List Data for a 3-Statement Model

You are a financial analyst building a 3-statement model from scratch for a public company.
Create a checklist of all the specific financial statements, schedules, and data points I need to gather from a company's most recent 10-K report to build a historical 3-statement model. Organize the list by financial statement (Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement) and include a section for "Notes and Schedules".

Best Tool: Any general-purpose LLM. This is a knowledge-based request. Sample Output: > Income Statement > * Revenue > * Cost of Goods Sold > * Operating Expenses (SG&A, R&D) > * Depreciation & Amortization > * Interest Expense & Income > * Income Tax Expense > * Net Income > * Shares Outstanding (Basic and Diluted) > > Balance Sheet > * Cash & Cash Equivalents > * Accounts Receivable > * Inventory > * Property, Plant & Equipment (PP&E), Gross and Net > * Goodwill & Intangibles > * Accounts Payable > * Accrued Expenses > * Short-term and Long-term Debt > * Shareholders’ Equity > > Cash Flow Statement > * Cash Flow from Operations (CFO) > * Cash Flow from Investing (CFI), including Capital Expenditures (CapEx) > * Cash Flow from Financing (CFF), including Debt Repayments/Issuances and Share Repurchases > > Notes and Schedules > * Debt Schedule: Details on interest rates, maturities, and covenants for all debt tranches. > * PP&E Schedule: Breakdown of capital expenditures, depreciation, and asset sales. > * Share-Based Compensation: Details on stock option expense which is a non-cash charge. > * Segment Information: Revenue and operating income by business segment.

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Variance Analysis & Month-End Close Prompts (5)

These prompts are designed to speed up the repetitive but critical tasks involved in the monthly closing process.

11. Draft a Variance Explanation

You are an FP&A analyst writing commentary for the monthly financial review. The "Consulting Fees" line item has a significant unfavorable variance.
**Data:**
- **Line Item:** Consulting Fees
- **Actual:** $150,000
- **Budget:** $50,000
- **Variance:** ($100,000) - Unfavorable
**Known Reasons:**
- $80,000 was for Project Titan, an unplanned strategic project approved by the CEO.
- $20,000 was due to higher-than-expected legal fees for a contract review.
Draft a concise, 2-sentence explanation for the variance. Follow the format: "The variance was driven by X and Y. Specifically, [provide detail and amounts].

Best Tool: Any LLM. Sample Output: > The $100K unfavorable variance in Consulting Fees was driven by an unplanned strategic project and higher-than-budgeted legal expenses. Specifically, $80K was spent on the CEO-approved “Project Titan” and the remaining $20K was due to an overage on legal fees for contract review.

12. Create a GL Reconciliation Checklist

You are a senior accountant designing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the month-end close.
Create a generic checklist for reconciling a balance sheet account (e.g., Accrued Liabilities) from the sub-ledger to the general ledger (GL). The checklist should be a series of steps a junior accountant can follow.

Best Tool: ChatGPT or Claude. Sample Output: > 1. Obtain Balances: Download the period-end trial balance from the GL and the detailed transaction listing from the relevant sub-ledger (e.g., AP system, expense accrual schedule). > 2. Agree Opening Balance: Confirm the opening balance of the account in the GL matches the opening balance on the reconciliation from the prior month. > 3. Tie Out Sub-ledger to GL: Sum the detailed transaction listing from the sub-ledger. The total should match the ending balance for the account in the GL. > 4. Investigate Differences: If the balances do not match, identify the reconciling items. Common items include timing differences, journal entries posted directly to the GL, or data entry errors. > 5. Document Reconciling Items: For each reconciling item, provide a clear description, the amount, and the reason for the difference. > 6. Prepare Adjusting Entries: If any errors are identified (e.g., a mis-posted invoice), prepare the necessary adjusting journal entries. > 7. Sign-off: The preparer and a reviewer must sign and date the completed reconciliation.

13. Analyze Accounts Receivable Aging

You are a credit analyst reviewing the quarterly Accounts Receivable aging report.
Based on the data below, identify the top three insights or concerns. For each insight, state the observation and the potential business implication.
**A/R Aging Data:**
| Aging Bucket | Current Quarter | Prior Quarter |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Current | $5.0M (65%) | $4.8M (75%) |
| 1-30 Days Past Due | $1.5M (20%) | $1.0M (15%) |
| 31-60 Days Past Due | $0.8M (10%) | $0.5M (7%) |
| 61-90 Days Past Due | $0.3M (4%) | $0.1M (2%) |
| >90 Days Past Due | $0.1M (1%) | $0.1M (1%) |
| **Total A/R** | **$7.7M** | **$6.5M** |

Best Tool: Claude 3.5 Sonnet, for its ability to synthesize data into narrative insights. Sample Output: > 1. Observation: The proportion of ‘Current’ receivables has decreased from 75% to 65% of the total, while all past-due buckets have increased as a percentage of the total. > Implication: This indicates a broad-based deterioration in collection timeliness, which could negatively impact cash flow and increase the risk of bad debt. > > 2. Observation: The ’31-60 Days Past Due’ bucket has seen the largest relative increase, growing from $0.5M to $0.8M. > Implication: There may be a systemic issue with a specific group of customers who are now paying significantly later, or a recent change in billing processes may be causing delays. This cohort requires immediate attention before it rolls into the 61-90 day bucket. > > 3. Observation: While total A/R has grown by $1.2M, the ‘Current’ portion only grew by $0.2M, meaning $1.0M of the growth is in past-due accounts. > Implication: The company is extending credit and booking revenue, but it is not effectively collecting the cash, signaling a potential disconnect between the sales and collections functions.

14. Draft a Journal Entry with Explanation

You are an accounting manager. I need to record the monthly depreciation expense.
**Data:**
- **Monthly Depreciation Expense:** $25,000
- **GL Accounts:**
- Depreciation Expense (Account #65100)
- Accumulated Depreciation - Equipment (Account #18110)
Create the journal entry in a standard two-column format (Debit/Credit) and provide a one-sentence description for the entry.

Best Tool: Any LLM. Sample Output: > Journal Entry Description: To record depreciation expense for the month of [Month, Year]. > > | Account # | Account Name | Debit | Credit | > | :— | :— | :— | :— | > | 65100 | Depreciation Expense | $25,000 | | > | 18110 | Accumulated Depreciation – Equipment | | $25,000 |

15. Formulate Questions for Budget Owners

You are an FP&A analyst preparing for budget vs. actual review meetings. My department, Marketing, has a significant variance.
**Data:**
- **Line Item:** Digital Advertising
- **Budget:** $200,000
- **Actual:** $280,000
- **Variance:** ($80,000) - Unfavorable
Generate a list of 3-4 non-confrontational but specific questions to ask the budget owner (VP of Marketing) to understand the drivers of this overspend.

Best Tool: Claude 3.5 Sonnet, for its strength in understanding social nuance and professional communication. Sample Output: > 1. “The actual spend on Digital Advertising came in about $80,000 over budget. Could you walk me through which campaigns drove this increase?” > 2. “I’m interested in the business outcomes from the higher spend. Did we see a corresponding lift in key metrics like lead volume or customer acquisition that we can correlate with this investment?” > 3. “As we look ahead, should we consider this new $280K level as the new run rate for Digital Advertising, or was this a one-time strategic investment?” > 4. “Were there any specific channels or campaigns that performed better than expected, where you decided to double down?”

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Treasury & Working Capital Prompts (4)

Prompts focused on cash management, liquidity, and the efficiency of the balance sheet.

16. Calculate Cash Conversion Cycle

You are a treasury analyst. Based on the provided data, calculate the three components of the cash conversion cycle (CCC): Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO), and Days Payables Outstanding (DPO). Then, calculate the final CCC.
Show the formula and the calculation for each step.
**Data (Annual):**
- Revenue: $20,000,000
- COGS: $12,000,000
- Average Accounts Receivable: $2,500,000
- Average Inventory: $2,000,000
- Average Accounts Payable: $1,500,000

Best Tool: ChatGPT or any other LLM with strong calculation abilities. Sample Output: > 1. Days Sales Outstanding (DSO): > * Formula: (Average Accounts Receivable / Revenue) * 365 > * Calculation: ($2,500,000 / $20,000,000) * 365 = 45.6 Days > > 2. Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO): > * Formula: (Average Inventory / COGS) * 365 > * Calculation: ($2,000,000 / $12,000,000) * 365 = 60.8 Days > > 3. Days Payables Outstanding (DPO): > * Formula: (Average Accounts Payable / COGS) * 365 > * Calculation: ($1,500,000 / $12,000,000) * 365 = 45.6 Days > > 4. Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC): > * Formula: DSO + DIO – DPO > * Calculation: 45.6 + 60.8 – 45.6 = 60.8 Days

17. Draft a Cash Flow Improvement Suggestion

You are a finance manager writing a brief memo to the CFO. Based on our company's high Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) of 60 days, while the industry average is 45 days, I want to propose a new initiative.
**Initiative:** Offer a "2/10, net 30" discount to customers. This means they get a 2% discount if they pay within 10 days; otherwise, the full amount is due in 30 days.
Draft a short paragraph explaining the initiative, its primary benefit (accelerating cash flow), and its primary cost (a 2% reduction in revenue for participating customers).

Best Tool: Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Sample Output: > I propose we pilot a “2/10, net 30” early payment discount program to address our current Days Sales Outstanding of 60 days, which is 15 days above the industry average. By offering customers a 2% discount for payment within 10 days, we can incentivize faster collections and significantly accelerate our cash inflows, improving our overall liquidity position. While the primary cost of this initiative is the 2% margin reduction on invoices paid early, we believe the benefit of converting receivables into cash more quickly justifies the cost, especially in the current interest rate environment.

18. Analyze Working Capital Trends

You are a financial analyst. Based on the working capital data below, describe the trend in the company's liquidity and operational efficiency.
**Data:**
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Current Ratio | 2.5x | 2.1x | 1.8x |
| Quick Ratio | 1.5x | 1.1x | 0.9x |
| Cash Conversion Cycle | 45 Days | 55 Days | 65 Days |
Write a 2-3 sentence summary of your findings.

Best Tool: Any LLM. Sample Output: > The data indicates a negative trend in the company’s liquidity and operational efficiency over the last three years. The declining Current and Quick Ratios, with the Quick Ratio now below 1.0x, suggest a tightening of liquidity and a reduced ability to meet short-term obligations without relying on inventory sales. This is further confirmed by the lengthening Cash Conversion Cycle, which has increased by 20 days, indicating that cash is being tied up in operations for longer periods.

19. Structure a 13-Week Cash Flow Model

You are a restructuring advisor. I need to create a standard 13-week cash flow forecast model.
Provide a template structure for this model. It should include the main sections: Cash Receipts (Inflows), Cash Disbursements (Outflows), and the Net Cash Flow calculation. Include 5-7 typical line items under each section.

Best Tool: ChatGPT. Sample Output: > 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast Template > > A. Cash Receipts (Inflows) > * A/R Collections – Domestic > * A/R Collections – International > * Cash Sales > * Asset Sale Proceeds > * New Debt Funding > * Equity Infusion > * Total Cash Receipts > > B. Cash Disbursements (Outflows) > * Operating Expenses: > * Payroll & Benefits > * Rent & Utilities > * Inventory Purchases / Payments to Suppliers > * Marketing & Advertising > * Professional Fees (Legal, Accounting) > * Financing & Capital Expenses: > * Capital Expenditures (CapEx) > * Debt Service (Principal & Interest) > * Total Cash Disbursements > > C. Net Cash Flow Summary > * Beginning Cash Balance > * (+) Total Cash Receipts > * (-) Total Cash Disbursements > * Net Weekly Cash Flow > * Ending Cash Balance

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Audit Prep & Compliance Prompts (3)

These prompts help you prepare for audits and think through compliance issues. For many firms, this process begins with getting reliable data out of various accounting systems, a process that specialized tools are designed to automate.

20. Generate an Audit Request List (PBC)

You are an audit manager preparing for the year-end audit of a manufacturing company.
Create a "Provided by Client" (PBC) request list for the "Inventory" audit area. List 5-7 key documents and schedules you would request from the client to audit their inventory balance.

Best Tool: Any general-purpose LLM. Sample Output: > PBC Request List – Inventory > > 1. Detailed perpetual inventory listing as of the balance sheet date, including item number, description, quantity, location, and cost. > 2. Inventory roll-forward from the last physical count date to the year-end. > 3. Copy of the company’s inventory physical count instructions and results. > 4. Listing of all inventory locations (company-owned, third-party warehouses, consignment). > 5. Inventory aging report to identify slow-moving or obsolete items. > 6. Lower of Cost or Market (LCM) or Net Realizable Value (NRV) analysis and any related writedown calculations. > 7. A summary of the company’s inventory costing methodology (e.g., FIFO, LIFO, Weighted-Average).

Note: The first step in satisfying these requests is data extraction. A tool like Validis can automate the secure extraction of GL and sub-ledger data directly from a client’s accounting system, which can then be used to prepare many of these schedules.

21. Explain a Complex Accounting Standard

You are an accounting expert. Explain the core principle of ASC 606: Revenue from Contracts with Customers in simple terms, as if to a non-accountant sales manager.
Focus on the 5-step model. Use a simple analogy if possible.

Best Tool: Claude 3.5 Sonnet, for its ability to simplify complex topics. Sample Output: > Think of ASC 606 as a 5-step recipe for booking revenue. We can’t just recognize money when it hits our bank account; we have to follow these steps for every deal you sign. > > 1. Identify the contract: Is there a signed deal? > 2. Identify our promises: What did we promise to deliver? (e.g., one software license and 10 hours of training). > 3. Determine the price: What’s the total deal value? > 4. Allocate the price: If we promised two things, we have to split the total price between them based on their standalone value. We can’t just put it all on the license. > 5. Recognize revenue when we deliver: We recognize the revenue for the license when we provide access, and we recognize the revenue for the training as we deliver the hours. > > The key takeaway is we have to match the revenue we book to the promises we’ve fulfilled, which might not be on the same schedule as when the customer pays us.

22. Brainstorm Risks for a New Product

You are a risk management professional. Our company is launching a new "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) feature within our e-commerce app.
Brainstorm a list of potential risks associated with this new product. Categorize the risks into three groups: "Credit Risk", "Regulatory & Compliance Risk", and "Operational Risk".

Best Tool: Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Sample Output: > Credit Risk > * Default Risk: Customers fail to make payments, leading to direct financial losses. > * Inadequate Underwriting: Our process for approving customers is too loose, leading to a higher-than-expected default rate. > * Fraud Risk: Users sign up with stolen identities or no intention to pay. > > Regulatory & Compliance Risk > * Consumer Protection Laws: The product could be classified as a loan, subjecting us to state and federal lending laws (e.g., Truth in Lending Act) that we are not prepared for. > * Data Privacy: We are collecting sensitive financial data which could be subject to regulations like GDPR or CCPA. > * Unfair & Deceptive Practices: Marketing materials could be seen as misleading if fees and penalties are not clearly disclosed. > > Operational Risk > * Servicing Failures: Our systems are not robust enough to handle payment processing, collections, and customer service inquiries at scale. > * System Integration: The BNPL feature fails to integrate properly with our existing checkout and accounting systems, causing data errors. > * Reputational Risk: A high-profile issue with defaults or aggressive collections damages our brand.

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Stakeholder Communications Prompts (3)

Prompts that help you translate complex financial data into clear, concise messages for different audiences.

23. Simplify Financial Jargon for a Board Deck

You are a communications expert. I have a sentence for a board presentation that is full of financial jargon. Rewrite it to be clear and direct.
**Original Sentence:** "We will deleverage the balance sheet by optimizing our working capital through DSO reduction and DPO extension, thereby enhancing our liquidity position."
**Rewritten Sentence:** [Your output here]

Best Tool: Any LLM. Sample Output: > We will improve our cash flow by collecting payments from customers faster and paying our own bills a bit slower. This will increase our cash reserves and make the business financially stronger.

24. Draft an Investor Relations Q&A

You are the Head of Investor Relations. Our company just announced we are missing our quarterly earnings guidance due to supply chain issues.
**Question:** "You missed your revenue guidance by 5%. What happened, and how can we be sure it won't happen again?"
Draft a concise, professional answer. Acknowledge the miss, explain the root cause clearly (supply chain), state the actions you are taking, and reaffirm long-term confidence.

Best Tool: Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Sample Output: > “Thank you for the question. We are disappointed in falling short of our revenue guidance this quarter. The 5% miss was primarily driven by unexpected port delays that pushed approximately $10 million in product deliveries from late Q3 into early Q4. This was a timing issue, not a demand issue, as the orders themselves remain solid. To mitigate this risk going forward, we are actively diversifying our shipping partners and increasing our buffer inventory at regional hubs. We are confident these actions will reduce logistics volatility, and our long-term demand drivers remain as strong as ever.”

25. Summarize Performance for a Company-Wide Email

You are a CEO writing a company-wide email. I need to summarize our Q3 financial results in an upbeat but honest way.
**Key Results:**
- Revenue: Met our target of $12.5M.
- Profitability: Missed our target due to unplanned investment in "Project Titan".
- Customer Growth: Exceeded our target, adding 100 new logos vs. a goal of 75.
Draft a short, 3-bullet point summary for the email. Frame the profitability miss as a strategic investment.

Best Tool: Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Sample Output: > * On-Target Revenue: We hit our revenue goal of $12.5M for the quarter, a testament to everyone’s hard work and focus. > * Investing in Growth: We made a strategic decision to accelerate investment in “Project Titan,” which meant we came in below our profitability target. This was a deliberate choice to build for the long-term, and we’re excited about what it will deliver. > * Record Customer Growth: The sales and marketing teams had a fantastic quarter, bringing in 100 new customers and beating our goal by 33%! Welcome to all our new partners.

Verification is Not Optional

AI tools can hallucinate, produce outdated information, or make subtle calculation errors. Never copy and paste AI-generated output directly into a financial report or board deck without verification.

Your Finance AI Checklist:

• Check the Math: Always recalculate any figures provided by the AI.
• Trace the Source: If the AI cites a fact or metric, find the original source document and confirm it.
• Apply Your Judgment: Does the narrative make sense? Does the conclusion feel right based on your own expertise? The AI is a tool, not a replacement for your professional judgment.
• Protect Your Data: Do not paste sensitive, non-public material information into public AI tools. Use enterprise-grade versions with data privacy controls, like ChatGPT Enterprise or a private Azure OpenAI instance.

The prompts in this library are a starting point. The best results come from refining them with the specific context of your company, your data, and your objectives. For more on integrating AI into your daily work, explore the resources at the ZEKAI AI for Finance & Business Analytics hub.