Help me prepare a transparent investment research memo about [INVESTMENT OR DECISION]. My goal, horizon, and risk tolerance are [GOAL HORIZON AND RISK]. My current financial context and constraints are [FINANCIAL CONTEXT]. The alternatives I am considering are [ALTERNATIVES]. Use only the data, sources, and assumptions supplied here: [SOURCES AND DATA]. This is educational research, not personalized financial advice, a recommendation to buy or sell, or a substitute for a fiduciary financial professional. Do not invent prices, yields, fees, tax treatment, financial statements, forecasts, analyst opinions, or market data. If current data is required but not supplied, identify the exact source and date needed rather than guessing. Flag when a tax professional, fiduciary adviser, attorney, or other qualified professional is appropriate. Produce a 900-1,200 word memo with these sections: 1. Decision frame: objective, time horizon, liquidity needs, constraints, and the question being evaluated. 2. Facts versus assumptions: a table labeling each item, source, date, and confidence or limitation. 3. Comparison: a table covering expected return drivers, downside risks, fees and expenses, liquidity, concentration, tax considerations to confirm, and what would change the thesis. 4. Numbers: show formulas and arithmetic for any return, fee, allocation, or scenario calculation. Use ranges and scenarios, not a single predicted outcome. 5. Risks and diligence questions: include business, valuation, market, liquidity, concentration, counterparty, and behavioral risks as relevant. 6. Next steps: a neutral research checklist and questions for a qualified adviser if needed. Separate facts from interpretation. Explain uncertainty plainly, including data gaps. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing. Before answering, verify that every number is supplied or calculated visibly from supplied inputs, and that the memo never turns an incomplete analysis into a buy, sell, or allocation instruction.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [INVESTMENT OR DECISION] | Name the investment, allocation change, or financial decision you want to research. | Whether to add a short-term Treasury ETF or leave the next $8,000 in a high-yield savings account. |
| [GOAL HORIZON AND RISK] | State your objective, investment horizon, loss tolerance, and liquidity needs. | Preserve principal for a home down payment in 18 months; low risk tolerance; funds may be needed on short notice. |
| [FINANCIAL CONTEXT] | Provide only the relevant details such as account type, debt, emergency savings, existing exposure, and constraints. | U.S. taxable brokerage account; emergency fund is separate; no high-interest debt; state income tax applies. |
| [ALTERNATIVES] | List the options you want compared, including doing nothing if relevant. | Buy a short-term Treasury ETF, use a 6-month Treasury bill ladder, keep cash in a high-yield savings account, or split between them. |
| [SOURCES AND DATA] | Paste dated figures, links, filings, fund documents, or assumptions you want the analysis to use. | Bank APY: 4.20% as of Sept. 20, 2026. Treasury ETF expense ratio: from the fund's prospectus. Treasury auction yields to be supplied from TreasuryDirect. |
How to use
- Define the actual decision and time horizon before adding any ticker, fund document, or financial figures.
- Paste dated primary sources such as a prospectus, issuer filing, account fee schedule, or government yield page.
- Check the facts-and-assumptions table and redo any arithmetic before relying on a comparison.
- Follow up with: “Add a downside scenario in which rates fall by 1 percentage point and show every assumption without recommending an action.”
Variations
ETF comparison
Use this when comparing funds that may appear similar but differ in holdings, costs, or tax treatment.
Create an educational comparison memo for [ETF A] and [ETF B] using only [FUND DOCUMENTS AND DATED DATA]. My objective and holding period are [OBJECTIVE]. Return tables for mandate, benchmark, holdings concentration, duration or style exposure where relevant, expense ratio, trading spread data if supplied, distributions, tax considerations to confirm, and key risks. Show all calculations for projected fees using [INVESTMENT AMOUNT]. Do not invent performance, yields, or tax outcomes and do not recommend a purchase. End with diligence questions for an adviser.
Stock research
Use this when organizing evidence about a single public company.
Prepare an educational company research memo on [COMPANY OR TICKER] using [FILINGS AND SOURCES]. My research question is [QUESTION], and the comparable companies are [COMPARABLES]. Separate reported facts from interpretation. Cover business model, revenue and margin drivers, balance-sheet obligations, valuation inputs supplied, competitive risks, management or governance facts in the sources, and thesis-invalidating evidence. Include a source-and-date table and show formulas for all calculations. Do not invent current price data, forecasts, or targets, and do not tell me to buy or sell.
Portfolio check
Use this to identify concentration and research questions in an existing portfolio.
Analyze my portfolio for educational planning purposes using [HOLDINGS AND VALUES], [ACCOUNT TYPES], and [GOALS AND TIME HORIZON]. Produce a concentration table by asset class, issuer, sector, geography, and liquidity where the data permits. Identify unknowns, fees to verify, overlap questions, tax considerations to discuss with a professional, and stress scenarios based only on [SCENARIO ASSUMPTIONS]. Show calculations for every percentage and do not prescribe trades, allocations, or tax actions. Flag situations where a fiduciary adviser or tax professional may be useful.
Tips
- Use dates beside every yield, price, expense ratio, or filing figure, because an otherwise careful memo can become stale quickly.
- For an investment with a return projection, inspect the formula, fees, tax assumptions, and downside case before considering the headline result.
- Include the option of doing nothing or using a simpler alternative; it makes tradeoffs visible instead of treating purchase as the default.
- Keep tax treatment as a question to verify unless you have the applicable jurisdiction, account type, holding period, and current professional guidance.
FAQ
Can an AI tell me what to invest in?
It can help organize research and expose assumptions, but it should not replace advice tailored to your full financial situation. For significant decisions, consider a qualified fiduciary financial professional.
What sources should I provide?
Prefer dated primary documents: prospectuses, official fee schedules, company filings, government sources, and account statements. Add the date because values and terms change.
Why should calculations be shown?
Visible formulas let you catch incorrect inputs, hidden assumptions, and unit errors. They also make it easier to update the memo when facts change.