What guard lines should you add to every investing prompt?
Guard lines are short instructions you add to any prompt to keep the assistant on safe ground: don't tell me what to buy, say when you're unsure, show where each fact comes from, and list what I should check in the original. They don't make answers correct, but they make errors much easier to spot.
- “Don't tell me what to buy or sell; explain, and list what I should verify in the original document.”
- “If you're not sure of a fact or figure, say so rather than guessing.”
- “For each figure, tell me which section of the text I gave you it comes from.”
- “Use only the text I've pasted in. If the answer isn't there, say that it isn't there.”
- “Explain in plain English, as if to someone new to investing.”
Check this yourself: guard lines reduce the risk but don't remove it. An assistant can still misread a document or invent a section reference, so open the original and look.
Which prompts help you understand an investment product?
Prompts for understanding a product ask what it is, how it makes money, how it differs from similar products and what kinds of risk it carries. Paste in the product's own description or document rather than just its name, so the assistant explains what's in front of you rather than what it half-remembers.
- “Explain what this product is in three plain sentences, based only on the text below. [paste the description]”
- “How is this investment meant to make money: interest, dividends, rent, price changes or something else? Quote the line that says so.”
- “What's the difference between this kind of product and a savings account, in terms of risk, access to my money and costs?”
- “List the technical terms in this text and explain each one simply.”
- “According to the document, what kind of investor is this product designed for, and who is it not suitable for?”
Check this yourself: compare the three-sentence summary with the product's key information document. If the summary sounds more attractive than the document, trust the document.
Which prompts help you read a fund document?
For long documents, ask the assistant to map them before summarising: list the sections, then summarise one section at a time with references. Ask specifically for risks, costs and exit terms, which are easy to skim past. Paste the text in yourself rather than asking the assistant to find the document online, where it may pick the wrong version.
- “List the sections of this document and say in one line what each covers.”
- “Summarise the risk section. List every risk it names, using the document's own words where possible.”
- “What does this document say about how and when I can sell, and about any penalty for leaving early?”
- “What is this document's date, and which figures in it might be out of date now?”
Check this yourself: pick two facts from the summary at random and find them in the document. If either is missing or different, recheck the whole summary.
Which prompts help you understand a company from its annual report?
Company prompts ask the assistant to explain what an annual report says, with a page or section reference for every point: how the company makes money, what changed since last year, the risks management describes and the questions a careful reader would ask. They never ask whether the shares are worth buying.
- “From the annual report text below, explain how the company makes money, split by business line, using the report's own figures. Give the page or section for each.”
- “What changed between this year and last year in revenue, earnings, debt and cash, according to this text? Quote each figure.”
- “Explain why reported earnings and cash from operations might differ here, using only this text.”
- “List the risks management describes. Which kinds of risk does it not mention that a reader might ask about?”
- “List anything the auditors draw attention to, and explain it in plain words.”
- “Draft the questions a careful investor would ask after reading this. Don't say whether the shares are worth buying.”
Check this yourself: open the report at each page reference, and confirm the figure is there and means what the summary says.
Which prompts help you check investment costs?
Cost prompts ask the assistant to list every charge in a document, explain how each one is taken and convert percentages into money at the amount you're considering. Arithmetic is a weak point for some assistants, so ask it to show each calculation step, then redo the sums yourself with a calculator.
- “List every charge in this text: its name, what it pays for, how it's taken and how often.”
- “For an investment of $10,000, convert each yearly percentage charge into money. Show each calculation.”
- “Which of these charges come out of the fund's value, and which would be taken from my account?”
- “What charges might apply that this document doesn't mention, such as platform, dealing or currency charges?”
- “Is there a performance fee or an exit charge? Quote the wording.”
Check this yourself: redo every sum and find each charge in the document. Then add the platform's own charges, using the method in how investment fees work.
Which prompts help you stress-test your own reasoning?
Stress-test prompts ask the assistant to argue against you: the strongest case against your idea, what would have to happen for it to go badly, and which of your assumptions are weakest. Assistants tend to agree with how a question is framed, so asking directly for disagreement is the dependable way to get it.
- “Here's why I'm considering this investment: [your reasons]. Make the strongest case against it.”
- “What would have to happen for this investment to lose a third of its value? List the scenarios.”
- “Which of my assumptions are weakest, and how could I check each one?”
- “What questions would a sceptical, experienced investor ask me about this decision?”
- “Am I showing common decision biases, such as fear of missing out or chasing recent winners? Explain.”
Check this yourself: write the strongest counter-argument into your decision journal in your own words, and say why you still agree or disagree with it.
Which prompts help you prepare questions for a firm?
Prompts for a firm turn what you've read into precise written questions: who will hold my money and how it's kept separate from the firm's own, what every charge comes to in money, how I withdraw, and what happens if the firm fails. The assistant drafts; you send the questions through contact details you've checked on the official register.
- “Draft polite, specific questions to ask an investment firm about who will hold my money and investments, whether the account is opened in my name, how my money is kept separate from the firm's own, and what happens if the firm stops trading.”
- “Based on this product text, what should I ask the firm about charges so that the answer comes back in money, not percentages?”
- “What should I ask about withdrawals: how long they take, any fees, and whether payments only go to an account in my name?”
- “Turn these notes into a short email asking the firm to confirm its registered name and reference number.”
Check this yourself: an assistant can't tell you whether a firm is genuine. Find the firm on the official register yourself, as in how to check an investment firm or broker, and compare its contact details before you send anything.
Which prompts help you spot red flags in an offer?
Red-flag prompts ask the assistant to read an offer, message or web page you paste in and list warning signs: promised returns, pressure, secrecy, unusual payment routes and missing information. It's a useful second pair of eyes, but a clean result proves nothing, because scammers write polished text, sometimes with AI themselves.
- “Read this message and list any signs of investment fraud, such as promised returns, urgency, secrecy or unusual payment requests. Quote each one.”
- “What information would a genuine firm normally give that's missing from this offer?”
- “Does this offer say who will hold my money, whether it's kept separate from the firm's own, and what statements I'd receive? If not, what should I ask?”
- “Compare this offer's claims with the common patterns of investment scams, without deciding for me whether it's genuine.”
Check this yourself: remove names and numbers before pasting a message in, and never rely on the assistant's verdict. The checks that count are the register, the contact details and where the payment would go, as set out in investment fraud red flags.
Which investing prompts should you avoid?
Avoid prompts that ask an assistant to choose, predict or act: what should I buy, where will this price be next year, which fund is top, or build me a portfolio. They invite confident answers on exactly the things assistants handle worst. Rewrite them as questions about understanding and checking, as in the table below.
| Avoid | Why it fails | Ask instead |
|---|---|---|
| “What should I invest in?” | It knows little about your situation and isn't an adviser | “What should I decide before choosing how to invest for a goal ten years away?” |
| “Where will this share price be next year?” | It generates a plausible number, not a forecast | “What could make this company's share price fall, according to its own reports?” |
| “Which fund is top for beginners?” | It may rely on old data and can't check today's costs | “What should a beginner compare between funds, and where do I find each item?” |
| “Is this firm legit?” | It can't reliably check the official register | “What steps should I take to check a firm on my country's official register?” |
The reasons behind the second row are explained in can AI predict stock prices?
What should you leave out of your prompts?
Leave out anything that identifies you or opens your accounts: passwords, codes, full account and card numbers, ID documents, your address and date of birth. Remove names and numbers from statements before pasting them, and use rounded amounts when exact ones don't matter. Every prompt in this library works without personal details.
The full privacy checklist, and the five-step workflow these prompts fit into, are in how to use AI for investing, safely.
Want to practise these prompts on documents you're actually reading? One-to-one AI for investing tutoring compares the assistant's answers with the source. See also investing tutoring, and the next lesson: AI trading bot scams.
AI prompts for investing: common questions
Is there one prompt that works for all investment research?
No single prompt does everything, but the guard lines come close to a universal start: don't tell me what to buy, say when you're unsure, show where each fact comes from and list what I should verify. Add them to any of the task prompts above.
Can I paste a whole annual report into an AI assistant?
Some assistants accept long documents; others cut them off without saying so. Work section by section, ask which section each point comes from, and check that the summary covers the parts you care about, especially risks and costs.
Can an AI prompt tell me whether an investment suits me?
No. An assistant doesn't know your goals, timeline or finances as a whole, and it isn't an adviser. Use prompts to understand and check; use your own checklist, or a regulated financial adviser, to decide what suits you.