By AI-powered systems such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini provide new methods to plan for your 2026 financial goals. But how can you use them while maintaining your privacy?
With more than two in five Americans (43%) saying they’ve utilised AI for aspects of their own financial planning, this is an increasingly pertinent subject.
Here’s how to make the most of AI tools.
Experiment with prompts
Help the chatbot assist you. Give it some context about your current situation so it can provide tailored guidance, says Sierra Adare-Tasiwoopa api, an instructional technologist at Nevada State University.
Be explicit about your goals by typing something like, “I want to save $5,000 by June,” and then asking for solutions. You must be literal, she continues, or the chatbot may not generate an action plan for you.
The SMART rubric, which requires specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals, is a good model, according to Lacey Langford, an accredited financial counsellor (AFC) and CEO of MILMO in Greensboro, North Carolina, a company that assists the military community with personal finance.
Langford suggests the prompt: “I really don’t want to be sick about money all the time.” Can you help me turn that into a SMART goal?
Provide guidance.
Robert Ferrara, Google’s communications manager for the Gemini App, emphasises that there is no single magical cue that will lead to the “right” answer.
Instead, he emphasises the importance of conversing with the chatbot and providing feedback. “The more details you can give it, the more it can help you plan,” according to him.
You may start with a general prompt, such “I want to become more financially savvy in the New Year.” The model will next ask you probing questions to help you narrow down your objectives, he says.
Ferrara adds that you may provide Gemini instructions in the tool’s settings to indicate your preferred communication format, such as “Please respond to bullets.”
“The more context you provide, the more useful it can be,” says John Jones, a certified financial advisor with Heritage Financial in Newberry, Florida.
For example, he suggests sharing your financial flow, spending patterns, mortgage payment, and retirement plans. Then ask for suggestions on how to improve. (Before publishing any numbers, Jones recommends eliminating personal information; more on privacy below.)
Divide large ambitions into smaller steps.
According to Jessica Limbrick, AFC and assistant professor of business at Nevada State University, AI chatbots can also break down large goals into smaller segments.
If you aim to save for a down payment on a car by 2026, she says the AI technology can help you break it down into weekly chunks. “You can ask it to create a template for you in a spreadsheet to keep you motivated,” according to her. Limbrick, who spoke on utilising AI for financial planning at a recent conference for qualified financial counsellors, believes that people are often overwhelmed by financial goals, which is why AI may be so useful.
“It can help you brainstorm or choose a path forward,” she shares.
Verify suggestions.
Limbrick warns that if you ask an AI platform for specific numbers or facts, such as tax questions or how much you need to save for retirement, you should double-check the information outside of the chatbot.
“Look at it as the assistant that is 80% correct, but that 20% could get you in trouble,” explains her colleague. Confirm facts and data on official government websites or from authentic sources, which are occasionally linked in AI-generated comments.
And if you’re dealing with a particularly intricate legal or business circumstance, Limbrick recommends seeing a financial professional.
Avoid providing personal information.
Because AI platforms learn from the information you submit, Limbrick advises against revealing personal information like your Social Security number or credit card numbers. If you wish to upload your spending data, first delete any personally identifiable information, such as your address, she says.
For example, Gemini and ChatGPT allow you to customise your privacy settings.
