ChatGPT Prompts for Finance

You are a financial analyst. Help me build a narrative around a financial model.

Company: {{company_name}}
Industry: {{industry}}
Model type: {{model_type}} (e.g., 3-statement, DCF, LBO, unit economics)
Time horizon: {{time_horizon}}

Key assumptions:
- Revenue growth: {{revenue_growth}}
- Gross margin: {{gross_margin}}
- Operating expenses: {{opex_assumptions}}
- CapEx: {{capex_assumptions}}
- Working capital: {{working_capital_assumptions}}

Write a financial model narrative that includes:

1. Executive summary — 3-4 sentences capturing the financial story
2. Revenue build-up — walk through the revenue model logic: what drives growth, key volume and pricing assumptions, and how they compare to industry benchmarks
3. Margin trajectory — explain gross and operating margin evolution over {{time_horizon}}. What drives improvement or compression?
4. Cash flow dynamics — free cash flow generation, capital intensity, and working capital needs
5. Key sensitivities — identify the 3 variables that most impact the output. For each, show the impact of a +/- 20% change
6. Bull / base / bear scenarios — define each scenario with specific assumptions and the resulting valuation range
7. Risks to the model — what assumptions are most likely to be wrong and in which direction

Format financial figures consistently. Use tables where appropriate. Flag any calculations where you're estimating rather than computing from provided data.

You are a FP&A analyst. Perform a budget variance analysis and write the management commentary.

Period: {{period}} (e.g., Q1 2025, March 2025)
Department/BU: {{department}}
Currency: {{currency}}

Budget vs. Actual:
{{budget_vs_actual_data}}

Produce a variance analysis report with:

1. Summary dashboard — total budget, total actual, total variance ($ and %), and a one-sentence headline
2. Line-by-line analysis — for each material variance (over {{materiality_threshold}}):
   - Variance amount and percentage
   - Root cause — why did this line miss or beat? (timing, volume, price, one-time, or structural)
   - Is this a one-time variance or will it recur?
   - Impact on full-year forecast
3. Favorable variances — explain what went right and whether it's sustainable
4. Unfavorable variances — explain what went wrong, who owns the corrective action, and the timeline
5. Forecast revision — based on these variances, recommend specific adjustments to the remaining {{remaining_periods}} forecast
6. Action items — 3-5 specific follow-ups with owners and deadlines

Write for a non-finance audience (department heads, CEO). Use plain language but include the precise numbers. Present unfavorable variances honestly without burying them.

You are an investment analyst at a {{fund_type}} (e.g., venture capital, private equity, hedge fund, family office). Write an investment memo.

Company: {{company_name}}
Sector: {{sector}}
Stage: {{stage}} (e.g., Series B, growth equity, public market, pre-IPO)
Deal size: {{deal_size}}

Company information:
- What they do: {{company_description}}
- Key metrics: {{key_metrics}}
- Founding team: {{team_overview}}
- Competitive landscape: {{competitive_landscape}}

Structure the memo as follows:

1. Recommendation — Lead with invest / pass / more diligence needed and the key reason in one sentence
2. Company overview — what they do, for whom, and why now
3. Market opportunity — TAM/SAM/SOM with the logic chain
4. Business model — how they make money, unit economics, and path to profitability
5. Competitive positioning — moats, differentiation, and vulnerability assessment
6. Traction & financials — revenue trajectory, growth rate, margins, burn, runway
7. Team assessment — founders, key hires, gaps, and ability to execute
8. Deal terms & valuation — is the price fair? Compare to relevant benchmarks and comps
9. Key risks — rank the top 5 risks by likelihood and severity. For each, describe the mitigation
10. Due diligence questions — 8-10 questions we need answered before committing

Tone should be analytical, balanced, and direct. An IC member should be able to read sections 1, 9, and 10 alone and get the essential picture.

You are a risk management specialist. Build a comprehensive risk assessment for {{subject}} (e.g., a portfolio, business unit, project, or transaction).

Context:
- Entity: {{entity_name}}
- Industry: {{industry}}
- Scope: {{assessment_scope}} (e.g., enterprise-wide, project-specific, portfolio-level)
- Risk appetite: {{risk_appetite}} (conservative, moderate, aggressive)

Produce a risk assessment that includes:

1. Risk identification — categorize risks into:
   - Market risk (interest rate, currency, equity, commodity)
   - Credit risk (counterparty, concentration, sovereign)
   - Operational risk (process, people, systems, external events)
   - Liquidity risk (funding, market liquidity)
   - Regulatory/compliance risk
   - Strategic risk (competitive, reputational, technology disruption)

2. Risk register — for the top 15 risks, create a register with:
   - Risk description
   - Likelihood (1-5 scale)
   - Impact (1-5 scale)
   - Risk score (likelihood x impact)
   - Current controls in place
   - Residual risk after controls
   - Risk owner

3. Heat map summary — describe a 5x5 heat map placing the top risks

4. Mitigation plan — for the top 5 risks:
   - Specific mitigation actions
   - Timeline and cost
   - Who is responsible
   - How we monitor effectiveness

5. Stress scenarios — define 3 stress scenarios (mild, severe, tail risk) and their estimated financial impact

6. Monitoring cadence — recommended KRIs (Key Risk Indicators) and review frequency

You are a corporate finance communications specialist. Draft a quarterly earnings report narrative.

Company: {{company_name}}
Period: {{quarter}} {{year}}
Public/private: {{company_type}}

Financial results:
- Revenue: {{revenue}} ({{revenue_growth}} YoY)
- Gross profit: {{gross_profit}} ({{gross_margin}} margin)
- Operating income: {{operating_income}}
- Net income: {{net_income}}
- EPS: {{eps}} (vs. consensus {{consensus_eps}})
- Cash & equivalents: {{cash_position}}
- Key segment data: {{segment_data}}

Operational highlights:
{{operational_highlights}}

Draft the report with these sections:

1. Headline & key figures — the 3-4 numbers that define the quarter
2. CEO quote — 2-3 sentences striking the right tone: {{tone_guidance}} (e.g., cautiously optimistic, strong momentum, navigating headwinds)
3. Revenue discussion — what drove top-line performance by segment/geography. Call out organic vs. inorganic growth
4. Profitability discussion — margin dynamics, cost management, and one-time items
5. Balance sheet & cash flow — liquidity, debt, and capital allocation priorities
6. Guidance — if providing, frame {{forward_guidance}} with appropriate caveats
7. Risk factors — standard forward-looking statement language

Write in the formal, precise tone expected by public market investors and analysts. Every claim should be grounded in the numbers provided.

You are a bookkeeper and financial analyst. Help me categorize and analyze business expenses.

Business type: {{business_type}}
Accounting standard: {{accounting_standard}} (e.g., GAAP, IFRS, cash-basis)
Period: {{period}}
Tax jurisdiction: {{tax_jurisdiction}}

Expense data:
{{expense_data}}

Perform the following analysis:

1. Categorization — assign each expense to the correct chart of accounts category:
   - COGS vs. operating expenses
   - Fixed vs. variable costs
   - Within OpEx: Sales & Marketing, R&D, G&A, and subcategories
   - Capital expenditures vs. operating expenses
   - Tax-deductible vs. non-deductible in {{tax_jurisdiction}}

2. Summary by category — total each category with % of total spend and % of revenue (if revenue provided)

3. Trend analysis — if multi-period data is provided, identify:
   - Categories growing faster than revenue
   - Categories with unusual spikes or drops
   - Seasonal patterns

4. Optimization opportunities — identify 5 areas where spending could be reduced or better allocated, with estimated savings

5. Tax considerations — flag expenses that may qualify for:
   - R&D tax credits
   - Section 179 deductions (if US)
   - Other jurisdiction-specific benefits

6. Anomalies — flag any expenses that look unusual (duplicates, round numbers that suggest estimates, miscategorized items)

Present the categorized data in a clean table format. Be precise with financial figures — never round unless explicitly asked.