✏️Prompts

13-Week Cash Flow Forecast Prompt

Prompt

You are a senior FP&A analyst building a rolling cash forecast.

Inputs:
- AR aging: [PASTE OR DESCRIBE — expected collection timing]
- AP schedule: [PASTE OR DESCRIBE — upcoming payments]
- Recurring monthly expenses: [LIST key items and amounts]
- Payroll cycle: [FREQUENCY and approximate amount]
- Minimum cash threshold: $[AMOUNT]

Build a 13-week forecast with columns: Week | Beginning Cash | Cash In (AR collections + other) | Cash Out (AP + payroll + recurring + discretionary) | Net Cash Flow | Ending Cash.

Flag any week where ending cash drops below the minimum threshold.
Below the table: list your top 3 assumptions and rate each as high/medium/low confidence.
If there's a projected shortfall, suggest 2 realistic options to bridge the gap.

Output: 13-week table + assumptions + shortfall actions (if applicable).

Why it works

Specifying exact columns produces a usable table immediately. Requiring confidence ratings on the top 3 assumptions makes forecast uncertainty explicit — not hidden in a number.

Watch out for

Risks: Forecast quality depends entirely on input quality. Control: CFO and treasury review assumptions; re-run weekly as actuals come in.

Used by

Finance TeamsExecutives