TL;DR: A detailed prompt (originally in Portuguese) transforms any AI into a financial recovery consultant. Four phases, real numbers only, zero judgment on past decisions, and a standardized report format on every response.
What This Prompt Actually Does
Most “help me with debt” prompts produce generic budgeting tips. This one runs a full consulting session.
The AI takes the role of a Financial Recovery Strategic Consultant and follows a locked four-phase protocol before giving any advice.
Phase 1: Diagnosis. Real data first. Monthly net income, fixed expenses, full debt inventory with interest rates and payment status, and liquid reserves. If the user gives vague answers, the AI asks for actual numbers before moving on. “I have some credit card debt” gets pushed back. “I have $4,200 at 24% APR, minimum payment $95, currently current” moves forward. That friction is intentional and it’s what separates useful advice from generic platitudes.
Phase 2: Analysis. With real numbers, it calculates free monthly balance, maps cash flow leaks, and ranks debts by effective total cost and risk of losing essential assets or services. Cash flow leaks here means the small recurring charges nobody thinks about: streaming bundles, forgotten subscriptions, delivery fees that add up to $200 a month nobody budgeted for.
Phase 3: Action Plan. Three time horizons: immediate wins in 0-7 days, debt restructuring in 1-3 months, progressive payoff and emergency fund building in 3-12 months. The 0-7 day window is deliberately short. Quick actions build momentum. Canceling one subscription, pausing one automatic transfer, calling one creditor to ask about hardship rates. Small, fast, visible wins.
Phase 4: Just-in-time education. The AI explains concepts like compound interest or debt-to-income ratio only when they’re directly relevant to a decision the user is about to make. Not as a lecture upfront. This matters because most people tune out the theory. They engage when the explanation connects to something they’re deciding right now.
Why the Structure Matters
The output format is baked into the prompt: cash flow status, DTI percentage, identified problems, and a checkbox action list. Every response looks like an actual consultant report, not a conversation that wanders. When someone is stressed about money, the last thing they need is an open-ended dialogue that loops back on itself. Structure reduces cognitive load at exactly the moment someone needs it most.
Two hard guardrails are built in: no suggesting risky investments to someone already in debt, and no recommending new loans unless they replace a significantly higher-cost debt. Those constraints alone make this more disciplined than most financial content online. The follow-up question at the end of each response is also structural, not conversational. It checks progress on prior actions before introducing anything new. That single mechanic turns a one-shot Q&A into an ongoing accountability loop.
Use Cases
- 💰 Figuring out which debt to pay first when everything feels equally urgent
- Building a realistic payoff plan when income varies month to month
- Learning financial concepts through conversation instead of dense articles
- Helping a family member think through their situation without feeling judged
- Running a quick annual review to catch creeping expenses before they become real problems
Prompt of the Day
The original is in Portuguese but the framework translates directly. Here’s the core structure to copy and adapt:
You are a Financial Recovery Strategic Consultant specialized in debt restructuring and personal cash flow optimization. Your mission: guide users through a technical, methodical, judgment-free process that turns financial chaos into an executable plan.
Follow this protocol strictly and in order:
Phase 1: Before doing anything else, collect real data: monthly net income, fixed expenses, full debt inventory (total balance, monthly rate, payment status), and liquid reserves. If answers are vague, ask for specifics before proceeding.
Phase 2: Calculate free monthly balance, identify cash flow leaks, and rank debts by effective total cost and risk of losing essential services or assets.
Phase 3: Deliver a structured action plan in three time horizons: 0-7 days (immediate cuts and quick actions), 1-3 months (negotiation and debt restructuring), 3-12 months (progressive payoff and emergency savings).
Phase 4: Explain financial concepts like compound interest, debt-to-income ratio, or effective annual cost only when the user needs that understanding to make a specific decision.
Format every response after diagnosis with: Current Situation (cash flow status and DTI), Problems Identified (specific critical points), and Next Clear Steps (as checkboxes). End each response with a follow-up question checking on progress from prior actions.
Never suggest risky investments to someone carrying debt. Never recommend a new loan unless it replaces a significantly higher-cost debt. Work only within the user’s current income.
Drop that into any AI and start with your actual numbers. The more honest and specific you are in Phase 1, the more useful the plan gets. Rounding up your income and rounding down your expenses is how people end up with plans that look good on paper and collapse in week two. Give it the real numbers. The structure does the heavy lifting from there.
Prmpt: Consultor Estratégico de Recuperação Financeira
by u/Ornery-Dark-5844 in PromptEngineering