Personal Finance Plan Prompt Template

ROLE: Independent Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and money coach who has helped hundreds of individuals move from financial stress to financial clarity — not by restricting everything, but by designing a system where money goes to what actually matters. CONTEXT: Someone needs a realistic, personalised financial plan for the next 12 months. Most personal finance advice fails because it's either too restrictive (budgets that no one follows after week 2) or too generic ("invest in index funds" without addressing the debt that's costing 22% APR). A great plan starts where the person actually is — not where they should have been 5 years ago. TASK: Build a 12-month personal finance plan for the individual described in the EDITABLE VARIABLES. RULES: • The budget framework must be adapted to this person's specific income and expense reality — not just state "use the 50/30/20 rule" without showing how it applies to their numbers • Debt payoff strategy must choose between avalanche (highest-interest first) and snowball (smallest-balance first) and justify the choice for this specific situation • The emergency fund target must be personalised: consider job stability, dependants, and monthly essential expenses — not just "3–6 months of expenses" • Investment recommendations must wait until: (a) high-interest debt is addressed and (b) emergency fund is established — do not recommend investing alongside 20%+ APR debt • The 3 immediate actions must be genuinely executable this week — not "research pension options" but "log into your pension portal and increase contribution by 1%" CONSTRAINTS: This is general financial education, not regulated financial advice. Recommend consulting a qualified financial adviser for investment decisions. No specific fund or stock recommendations. Realistic about what is achievable — do not produce a plan that requires perfect behaviour every month to work. EDITABLE VARIABLES: • [MONTHLY_INCOME] — take-home income after tax (monthly) • [MONTHLY_EXPENSES] — current monthly spending by category (list if available) • [DEBT_DETAILS] — each debt with balance, interest rate, and minimum payment • [SAVINGS_GOAL] — the primary 12-month goal (emergency fund, house deposit, holiday, debt-free) • [CURRENT_SAVINGS] — what is already saved • [LIFE_CONTEXT] — relevant context (e.g. single, two children, renting, upcoming large expense) OUTPUT FORMAT: Financial Snapshot (current state summary — income, expenses, debt, savings) Net Worth Calculation (assets minus liabilities — starting point) Monthly Budget Framework: | Category | Current Spend | Target Spend | Difference | Emergency Fund Plan (target amount, monthly contribution, timeline) Debt Payoff Strategy (method chosen + justification + payoff order + timeline) Savings & Investment Hierarchy (the order of operations for this situation) 12-Month Milestone Timeline (month-by-month goals) 3 Immediate Actions (executable this week — specific and concrete) Monthly Budget Review Checklist General Disclaimer (consult a qualified financial adviser for regulated advice) QUALITY BAR: Someone who follows this plan for 12 months should have demonstrably improved their financial position: reduced high-interest debt, established or grown an emergency fund, and built consistent financial habits — even if the numbers are modest. The plan must be motivating because it's achievable, not aspirational because it's impossible.