Financial reporting is where numbers become language. The P&L is a set of facts. The commentary turns those facts into a story that a board member, an investor, or a senior leader can act on. That translation is difficult to do well under deadline pressure which is exactly where AI helps most.
These prompts are for controllers, FP&A leaders, and CFOs who write or oversee financial commentary. They are organized by output type: management accounts commentary, board language, investor narrative, and the specific analytical translations that finance teams produce most frequently. Replace every bracketed item with your specific context before running.
Management Accounts Commentary
Full management accounts narrative — income statement
Write a management accounts commentary for the income statement for [period]. Write in a precise, direct finance style — no filler phrases, no passive voice, no hedging. Structure: one paragraph for revenue performance, one for gross margin, one for operating costs, one for EBITDA, and one forward-looking paragraph on the remainder of the period.
Data:
Revenue: [actual] vs budget [budget], [variance]. Key drivers: [list]
Gross Margin: [actual %] vs budget [budget %]. Key drivers: [list]
Opex by category: [list lines with actuals vs budget]
EBITDA: [actual] vs budget [budget]
Forward view: [any known changes to the outlook]
Balance sheet commentary
Write a balance sheet commentary for [period end date]. Focus on material movements versus prior period and versus budget where applicable. Highlight any items requiring management attention.
Key movements:
[Account]: [prior period amount] to [current period amount] — [brief reason if known]
[Account]: [prior period amount] to [current period amount] — [brief reason if known]
[List all material movements]
The commentary should be suitable for the management accounts pack and should be factual, specific, and free of accounting jargon.
Cash flow statement narrative
Write a cash flow commentary for [period]. The commentary should explain the operating, investing, and financing cash flows in terms a non-accountant CFO or board member would follow clearly.
Operating cash flow: [amount]. Key working capital movements: [list]
Investing activities: [describe capex or acquisitions]
Financing activities: [describe debt movements, dividends]
Net cash movement: [amount]. Opening cash: [amount]. Closing cash: [amount]
Explain whether the cash performance is consistent with the plan, and flag any items that require forward attention.
Segment performance commentary
Write performance commentary for the following business segments for [period]. Each segment should have two to three sentences covering revenue performance, margin, and any notable operational items.
[Segment A]: Revenue [actual vs budget], Margin [actual vs budget]. Key driver: [explain]
[Segment B]: Revenue [actual vs budget], Margin [actual vs budget]. Key driver: [explain]
[Segment C]: Revenue [actual vs budget], Margin [actual vs budget]. Key driver: [explain]
Close with a one-sentence summary of the overall group performance across segments.
Board Language and Executive Summaries
Board pack executive summary
Write a board pack executive summary for [period]. The summary should be three paragraphs of approximately 100 words each.
Paragraph 1: Headline financial performance — revenue, EBITDA, cash — versus plan and prior year. Be direct about whether performance was above or below expectation.
Paragraph 2: The two or three most important drivers of the period's performance — both positive and negative.
Paragraph 3: Forward-looking view — full-year outlook, key risks, and any decisions the board needs to make.
Data: [paste key financial metrics with actuals, budgets, and prior year comparisons]
Known context: [paste any strategic or commercial context the CFO would want the board to understand]
Board risk summary
Write a board risk summary covering the following risks for [period]. For each risk, write two to three sentences: what the risk is, the current status, and what mitigation is in place. Flag any risks where the status has changed since the last board meeting.
Risks:
[Risk 1]: [description, current likelihood, current impact, mitigation]
[Risk 2]: [same format]
[Risk 3]: [same format]
Close with a one-sentence overall risk assessment for the period.
Board pack opening letter from CFO
Draft a CFO opening letter for the [quarter/year] board pack. The letter should be one page, direct, and authoritative. It should:
- Summarize the period's financial performance in two to three sentences
- Identify the one or two most significant issues the board should focus on
- State the CFO's assessment of the business's financial position
- Note any significant changes in the risk environment
Financial context: [paste key metrics]
Key issues: [list]
Risk changes: [describe any changes]
Audit committee financial update
Draft a financial update for the audit committee covering [period]. The update should cover: financial results summary, material accounting judgments made in the period, any significant changes in estimates or provisions, internal control matters, and the external audit status if applicable.
Financial summary: [paste]
Material judgments: [list any significant estimates — goodwill impairment, provisions, revenue recognition decisions]
Control matters: [any issues identified]
Audit status: [describe]
Investor and External Narrative
Earnings commentary — investor style
Write investor-style earnings commentary for [period]. Use the tone and structure of a public company earnings release: clear, balanced, focused on the metrics investors care about, and forward-looking. Avoid accounting jargon. Include: headline metrics with year-over-year comparison, key performance drivers, segment highlights if applicable, and guidance or outlook language.
Data: [paste revenue, EBITDA, EPS or key metrics with prior year comparisons]
Growth drivers: [list]
Outlook: [describe guidance or directional comments]
Investor question and answer preparation
Prepare Q&A preparation notes for the following investor or analyst questions about [period] results. For each question, draft a concise, direct answer that a CFO could use verbatim or adapt in a call.
Questions:
1. [paste question]
2. [paste question]
3. [paste question]
Context: [paste any additional data or background that would help frame the answers]
Answers should be factual, confident, and avoid language that sounds defensive or evasive.
Analytical Translations
Accounting explanation to non-finance language
Translate the following accounting concept into plain language suitable for a non-finance business leader or board member who does not have an accounting background.
Concept to explain: [e.g. deferred revenue recognition, goodwill impairment, working capital movement, capitalize vs expense decision]
The explanation should: use an analogy if helpful, avoid jargon, be no longer than three sentences, and focus on the business implication rather than the accounting mechanics.
Restate prior period comparison for structural change
We are presenting a year-over-year comparison that is distorted by [structural change — e.g. acquisition, disposal, change in revenue recognition policy]. The reported figures are: [prior year amount] versus [current year amount]. On a like-for-like basis, adjusting for [the structural change], the comparison is: [adjusted prior year] versus [current year]. Draft commentary that explains the reported comparison, the like-for-like adjustment, and why the like-for-like figure is more meaningful for assessing underlying performance.
KPI definition and calculation note
Write a KPI definition and calculation note for [KPI name] suitable for inclusion in a board pack or investor presentation.
The KPI measures: [what it represents operationally]
Calculation: [numerator] divided by [denominator], measured [frequency]
Why we track it: [business rationale]
Current value: [amount or percentage]
Target: [amount or percentage]
Trend: [improving/deteriorating/stable over the last [period]]
The note should be two to three sentences — precise, jargon-free, and suitable for a reader who has not seen this metric before.
