The problem
Cashflow modelling is one of the most powerful tools in a financial planner's kit. Clients can see their retirement trajectory, stress-test scenarios, and understand the impact of different decisions. The modelling software does the heavy lifting.
The commentary, though, is all you.
Writing good cashflow commentary is genuinely difficult. You need to translate actuarial projections, growth rate assumptions, and Monte Carlo outputs into something a 58-year-old couple can understand and feel confident about. Too technical and they glaze over. Too simple and you lose credibility.
Most advisers spend 45 minutes to an hour writing commentary per cashflow report. Multiply that by the number of annual reviews and new advice cases you run, and you are looking at a significant chunk of your writing time every month.
The other problem is blank-page paralysis. You know what you want to say, but the cursor blinks.
The system
Step 1: Export your key model outputs
From your cashflow modelling software (Voyant, CashCalc, Truth, or similar), note the following key figures before you start:
- Current assets and projected growth
- Target retirement income and start date
- Funding gap or surplus at each key milestone
- Key assumptions used (growth rates, inflation, state pension age)
- Any stress test scenarios and their outcomes
You do not need to export the full report. Just the headline numbers and the story they tell.
Step 2: Brief Claude with the narrative context (Claude)
Paste your figures into Claude with this prompt:
"I am a UK financial planner writing the commentary section of a cashflow modelling report for a client. I want you to write clear, plain-English commentary explaining what their cashflow model shows. Write in second person (addressing the client as 'you'). Avoid jargon — explain any financial terms you use. The commentary should cover: what the model shows under the base case, what the key assumptions are and why they matter, what the stress tests reveal, and what the key takeaways are for the client. Do not be alarming — be reassuring but honest. UK spelling, no em dashes.
Here are the model details: [paste your figures and scenario notes]"
Step 3: Add the professional caveat layer (Claude)
Follow up with:
"Now add a short paragraph at the start that explains what cashflow modelling is, why it is useful, and why the projections are not guaranteed. Keep it concise and reassuring rather than defensive. This is for a sophisticated but non-technical client."
Step 4: Review in Word with Copilot (Microsoft Copilot)
Paste the draft into Microsoft Word. Use Copilot to check readability: ask it to flag any sentences that are longer than 25 words or use passive voice unnecessarily. Make final edits based on its suggestions.
This step catches the awkward sentences that AI drafts sometimes produce and ensures the language matches your firm's tone.
The results
Before: 50 minutes of writing per cashflow report, often involving staring at the screen for the first 10 minutes.
After: 15 minutes to brief Claude, 10 minutes to review and edit. Total: 25 minutes.
The commentary also tends to be clearer and more structured than a quickly written first draft. Clients report understanding their cashflow model better, which leads to stronger buy-in for the recommended strategy.
One IFA using this workflow noted that their client satisfaction scores for annual reviews improved after they started using this system — not because the advice changed, but because the explanations improved.