ChatGPT Prompts for Financial Planners and CFPs

Initial discovery meeting with [prospective client]. 60 min. Output: opener, life-stage discovery questions (in order), money story / values exploration, specific goals discovery, current situation overview, what financial planning would mean for them, fee discussion, next steps. Conversation, not interrogation.

Help client articulate goals. They said: [vague goal — "be comfortable in retirement"]. Output: 5 questions to make it specific (when, what does comfortable mean, what would happen if you didn't reach it, who else affected, what would you sacrifice for it). Force specificity respectfully.

Risk tolerance discussion with [client]. Output: behavioral questions beyond standard questionnaire (past behavior in 2008, 2020 — most predictive), capacity vs willingness distinction, specific scenarios ("if portfolio dropped 30%, what would you do?"), follow-up to surface real tolerance.

Customize fact-find for [client situation]. Output: relevant sections only, follow-up depth per area, sequence to minimize fatigue, what we need from them (documents) vs what we can pull, deadline. Generic fact-finds = abandoned.

Write executive summary for [client]'s financial plan. Output: where they are now (current state), goals (their words), 5-7 specific recommendations (numbered), priority sequencing, timeline for actions, expected outcomes, my role + their role. Plain language; client-readable.

Recommendation: [specific — Roth conversion, term life increase, beneficiary update]. Help me explain to client: why we recommend, how it fits their goals, alternatives considered, downside risk, action steps. Education > directive. Clients act on understanding, not orders.

Walk client through retirement projection. Output: assumptions used, scenarios run (conservative / moderate / aggressive), Monte Carlo summary if applicable, gap analysis (current path vs goal), levers to close gap, next 12-month actions. Visualize, don't bury in numbers.

Review client insurance coverage. Lines: [life / disability / LTC / umbrella / property]. Output: gap analysis vs needs, current premium vs market rate, sources of redundancy, restructuring opportunities, conversation framing (insurance discussions awkward). Honest about limits of my expertise vs broker.

Market down 25%. Client called panicked. Walk through call: validate emotion (without amplifying), put in historical context (without dismissing), revisit their plan + risk tolerance, decision rule check (pre-set rules), end with action (sometimes none, that's OK).

Client over-spending vs plan. Help me have conversation: compassionate not lecturing, surface what spending really represents, tradeoff with stated goals, behavioral nudges that work, my role as coach not parent. Hard conversations earn fees.

Client hasn't completed action items from last meeting. Help me follow up: non-shaming tone, ask what blocked them (often something we missed), break into smaller steps if needed, mutual accountability, when to escalate concern. Action items = where plans become real.

Client wants help facilitating family money conversation [parents and adult kids / spouses with disagreement / inheritance]. Output: pre-meeting prep, agenda, ground rules, my role as facilitator, sensitive topic handling, follow-up. Family money = emotional + relational + financial.

Build annual service calendar for [client tier]. Output: quarterly contacts (review meeting / call / email), specific topics per quarter (year-end planning Q4, tax review Q1, mid-year check Q2, anniversary Q3), proactive content per touchpoint. Calendar = retention.

Discovery call invitation email to prospect [referred / inbound]. Output: warm opener referencing source, what 30-min discovery covers, what they'll get from call, fee discussion (or "no obligation"), specific time slots, link to schedule. Conversational, not corporate.

Marketing for [niche — e.g., physicians, tech employees, divorced women, business owners]. Output: ICP, niche-specific pain points, content themes, networking targets, referral strategy, niche-relevant credentials/positioning. Niche down = profitability.