01
Build the debt ledger
Put every debt on the same footing and surface the information needed for a valid comparison.
Made for Financial Advisors
Build a Debt Payoff Order
Also useful for: Financial Planners, people in Finance
45 min
Intermediate
Budgeting
Improve My Finances
Comparing Financial Options
Turn debt balances, rates, tax assumptions, and reserve needs into a clear payoff sequence and next payment target.
We'll use them to write your prompt.
Completed ✓
Make Your Play
Give us the situation. We’ll build the prompt.
Replace a generic debt avalanche with a defensible order that accounts for liquidity, tax treatment, special loan terms, and client priorities.
Your answers save as you type.
What you'll do
This is the plan inside your prompt. Add your details first. Then follow these steps with ChatGPT or Claude.
02
Protect the reserve floor
Separate truly available cash from money that must stay liquid for emergencies and near-term obligations.
03
Compare effective debt costs
Measure debts using confirmed costs while keeping uncertain tax benefits and special terms visible.
04
Set the payoff order
Start with the highest effective cost, then adjust only for documented constraints or the selected preference.
05
Calculate the next target
Turn the ranking into an immediate payment instruction that fits available cash flow.
06
Test and document the recommendation
Check whether a realistic change would alter the order and preserve the reasoning for review.
Make Your Play
Build a Debt Payoff Order
Tell us what the prompt needs to know
Start with the questions below. Each answer personalizes the playbook and builds the prompt you’ll use at the end.
Your situation
Enter the date through which the balances, rates, and cash figures are current.
List each debt with its type, balance, annual rate, minimum payment, rate type, collateral, payment status, and any special terms.
0/10000
Enter the total cash currently available in checking, savings, and other liquid reserve accounts.
Enter the minimum cash amount that must remain untouched after any debt payment.
Enter the amount available each month after all required debt minimums and planned expenses.
Describe any verified deductions, credits, exclusions, or other tax treatment tied to the debts. Mark uncertain items as unverified.
0/10000
List overdue accounts, promotional rate deadlines, variable rates, penalties, forgiveness programs, employer benefits, essential collateral, or other limits.
0/10000
Select the main preference to use after reserve needs and binding loan constraints are addressed.
This playbook was updated. Review your inputs before copying.
What you'll do
Check a step when you finish it.
01
Build the debt ledger
Put every debt on the same footing and surface the information needed for a valid comparison.
02
Protect the reserve floor
Separate truly available cash from money that must stay liquid for emergencies and near-term obligations.
03
Compare effective debt costs
Measure debts using confirmed costs while keeping uncertain tax benefits and special terms visible.
04
Set the payoff order
Start with the highest effective cost, then adjust only for documented constraints or the selected preference.
05
Calculate the next target
Turn the ranking into an immediate payment instruction that fits available cash flow.
06
Test and document the recommendation
Check whether a realistic change would alter the order and preserve the reasoning for review.
Fill in the fields above to generate your prompt preview.
Assembled prompt
Beginner instructions
Gather a current statement for each debt before starting. Use the annual percentage rate shown on the statement, not an estimated rate. Treat tax benefits as unverified unless eligibility has already been confirmed. If information is missing, keep the debt in the analysis and flag the gap.
Advanced instructions
Recalculate the order in a spreadsheet using monthly interest and payment timing. Test changes in variable rates, promotional expirations, tax treatment, and available monthly cash. Compare the recommended order with a strict debt avalanche and document any difference.
Use this when
You need to recommend which debt a client should pay first without draining reserves or overlooking tax and loan-specific factors.
You'll need
- As-of date
- Debt inventory
- Current cash reserves
- Minimum reserve floor
- Extra monthly payment
- Tax treatment
- Constraints and special terms
- Ranking preference
You'll get
- Every debt captured in a consistent table
- Every missing or unverified figure flagged
- The minimum cash reserve protected
- Effective debt costs compared on a stated basis
- A ranked payoff order with exceptions explained
- The immediate lump-sum target identified
By the end of this playbook
You will have:
- Every debt captured in a consistent table
- Every missing or unverified figure flagged
- The minimum cash reserve protected
- Effective debt costs compared on a stated basis
- A ranked payoff order with exceptions explained
- The immediate lump-sum target identified
Examples
Progress 1 of 6