PM Money

Audit spending to find leaks — recurring subscriptions, creep, and cuttable costs — ranked by impact. Use when asked to cut expenses, review subscriptions, find where money is going, or free up cash. Produces a categorized spend breakdown, a ranked list of cuts with dollar amounts, and the annualized savings. Educational, not regulated financial advice.

Negotiate a recurring bill down — internet, phone, insurance, cable, gym — with a ready-to-read script, the competitor leverage that actually moves the price, and exactly what to say when they say no. Use when asked to lower my bill, negotiate my internet/phone bill, my provider raised my price, or how do I get a discount on [service]. Produces a call-or-chat script in your words, the specific leverage for your situation, a fallback ladder (discount → downgrade → cancel lever), and a note of what to write down so the promised deal actually sticks.

Make a smart plan for a lump sum — a bonus, inheritance, tax refund, settlement, or sale — so it builds your future instead of evaporating into lifestyle. Use when asked what should I do with a windfall, I came into some money, how to use a bonus/inheritance/tax refund, or don't want to waste this money. Produces a cool-off-first plan, a tax/obligations check, an allocation across foundation-building, goals, and a guilt-free fun slice, and cautions against the classic windfall traps and the vultures that appear. Educational — not financial advice.

Build a realistic personal monthly budget from someone's income and expenses. Use when asked to make a budget, plan monthly spending, allocate income, or get finances under control. Produces a categorized budget (a 50/30/20-style allocation tuned to their reality), a surplus/shortfall number, and concrete next moves. Educational, not regulated financial advice.

Get a broken product repaired, replaced, or refunded under warranty — with the claim message written, the proof to attach, and the consumer-law backstop for when 'out of warranty' isn't the whole story. Use when asked to make a warranty claim, my [product] broke and it's still under warranty, the manufacturer won't honor the warranty, or how do I get this fixed for free. Produces a ready-to-send claim message, the exact evidence to include, the repair-vs-replace-vs-refund position, and an escalation ladder for when the first answer is no.

Get a bank fee waived or refunded — overdraft, late, maintenance, ATM, or foreign-transaction — with the ask written and the leverage that works. Use when asked to get a bank fee refunded, waive my overdraft fee, the bank charged me a fee, or how to get charges reversed. Produces a read on which fees are commonly reversible, the script to request a refund (in person, chat, or call), the loyalty/first-time/error leverage to use, and how to prevent the fee recurring — plus when to escalate or switch banks.

Build a debt-payoff plan across multiple debts using the avalanche or snowball method. Use when asked to pay off debt, tackle credit cards/loans, or choose between avalanche and snowball. Produces an ordered payoff schedule, the total interest and time for each method, and a clear recommendation. Educational, not regulated financial advice.

Figure out the best card or payment route for a purchase (or your everyday spending) to maximize cashback/points — without overspending or drowning in complexity. Use when asked which card should I use for [purchase], maximize my credit card rewards, best card for [category], or optimize my points. Produces the best-value route for the spend from the cards/programs you actually have, a simple everyday cheat-sheet by category, redemption tips, and honest guardrails (pay in full, don't chase points into debt or clutter). Not financial advice.

Turn a savings goal into a month-by-month funding plan. Use when asked to save for something (emergency fund, house deposit, trip, big purchase), or to figure out how much to set aside each month. Produces the required monthly contribution, a timeline, milestones, and trade-offs if the target date is too aggressive. Educational, not regulated financial advice.

Reclaim value stuck in gift cards, store credit, and forgotten balances — check what's left, use it before it's lost, and know your rights on expiry and cash-back. Use when asked to use up a gift card, I have store credit I forgot about, do gift cards expire, or get cash for a gift card. Produces a way to find and check balances, the rules on expiry and dormancy for your region, options to use/convert/sell partial balances, guidance on cashing out small remainders where allowed, and how to avoid the common gift-card scams.

Scan a bill, contract, or quote for junk and hidden fees — the padding buried in the fine print — and get them questioned or removed. Use when asked to check this bill for hidden fees, are these charges legit, what am I actually paying for, or review this quote for junk fees. Produces a line-by-line read flagging suspicious/vague/padded charges, which are commonly negotiable or bogus, the questions to ask and script to dispute them, and an estimate of what you could save — across bills like telecom, hotels, cars, banking, and services.

Decide when to buy a big-ticket item to get the best price — the sales cycles, model-refresh timing, and 'buy now vs wait' math for the specific thing you want. Use when asked when's the best time to buy [item], should I wait for a sale, is now a good time to buy, or when do [products] go on sale. Produces the typical discount calendar for that category, whether a new model/version is due (and if the current one will drop), a buy-now-vs-wait recommendation for your timeline, and price-tracking tactics — flagging that timing is a guide, not a guarantee.

Get your affairs in order before you need to — a will/beneficiary/healthcare-directive checklist and the 'what my family needs to find' document, in the right order. Use when asked to help with estate planning, make a will checklist, get my affairs in order, or prepare what my family needs if something happens to me. Produces the estate-planning checklist ranked by priority, the document-locator sheet, the key decisions to make, and the professional-help flags — for the living, not the executor. Complements the estate/after-death pack.

Produce a personal net-worth statement — assets minus liabilities — and a way to track it. Use when asked to calculate net worth, summarize finances, or set up net-worth tracking. Produces a categorized assets/liabilities statement, the net-worth figure, liquidity and debt ratios, and a tracking cadence. Educational, not regulated financial advice.

Get a retailer to match a lower price you found — or refund the difference when the price drops right after you bought — with the request written and the exact proof to show. Use when asked for a price match, I found it cheaper somewhere else, the price dropped after I bought it, or can I get a price adjustment. Produces the policy-aware request, the evidence that qualifies, the eligibility read (what usually counts vs excludes), and a fallback if they won't match.

Surface the personal tax deductions and credits you might be missing — so you can research them or raise them with your tax preparer before you file. Use when asked what tax deductions can I claim, am I missing any tax breaks, deductions for [job/situation], or help me lower my tax bill. Produces a tailored list of commonly-missed deductions/credits for your situation, what records each needs, the ones worth digging into, and clear flags to verify against current rules or a professional. Educational — not tax advice, and rules vary by country and year.

Decide where your next dollar should go — the order to tackle emergency fund, high-interest debt, retirement match, and saving/investing — so you stop guessing and build momentum. Use when asked what should I do with my money first, pay off debt or save, where to put extra money, or help me prioritize my finances. Produces a personalized order-of-operations for your situation, the reasoning for each step, where you are on the ladder and the next concrete move, and honest flags on the judgment calls. Educational — not financial advice.

Track down money that's yours but forgotten — dormant accounts, old deposits, uncashed checks, lost pensions, insurance payouts, and unclaimed-property funds. Use when asked to find unclaimed money, is there money owed to me, find a lost account/pension, or search unclaimed property. Produces a checklist of where forgotten money hides, how to search the official (free) registries for each type, what proof you'll need to claim it, and a strong warning to only use official free searches and never pay a 'finder' up front. Not financial advice.

Decide whether to switch energy, broadband, or mobile providers — compare the real total cost, dodge the traps, and time it right. Use when asked should I switch energy/broadband/mobile providers, compare utility deals, is this a good energy tariff, or help me switch and save. Produces an apples-to-apples comparison (total annual cost, not headline rate), the traps to check (intro-then-jump pricing, exit fees, contract length), a switch/stay recommendation, the switching steps, and reminders to verify current prices on a comparison source.

Respond to a debt collector correctly — know your rights, make them prove the debt, and avoid the mistakes that reset the clock or admit liability. Use when asked how to deal with a debt collector, a collection agency is contacting me, is this debt real, or respond to a collections letter. Produces a validation/proof-of-debt request, a rights-aware read on what collectors can and can't do, guidance on statute-of-limitations and not accidentally restarting it, a communication and record-keeping plan, and escalation if they break the rules. Not legal advice.

Work out whether you're eligible for a class-action settlement or refund program — and actually file the claim before the deadline. Use when asked am I owed money from a settlement, is there a class action for [product/company], how do I claim a settlement, or did I qualify for that refund. Produces a way to check for relevant settlements, an eligibility read against the class definition, the proof you need and how to file, deadline tracking, and honest expectations on payout size — plus how to avoid fake-settlement scams. Not legal advice.

Draft a personal investing policy statement (IPS) — the rules someone sets for their own investing. Use when asked to define an investment strategy, set a target asset allocation, or write rules to avoid panic-driven decisions. Produces a structured IPS: goals, risk tolerance, target allocation, contribution & rebalancing rules, and what NOT to do. Educational, not regulated financial advice.