Financial Decisions
💵 Make smarter money decisions with structured analysis.
Financial decisions—from budgeting to major purchases—benefit from structured thinking that cuts through emotion and marketing.
Common Financial Questions
“Should I buy this?”
rk-core think "I want to buy a $800 smartphone. My current phone works fine but is 3 years old. Good idea?" --balanced
“Can I afford this?”
rk-core think "Thinking of buying a $35K car. Income is $75K. Is this financially responsible?" --deep
“Should I pay off debt or invest?”
rk-core think "I have $10K saved. Should I pay off my 6% car loan or invest in index funds?" --balanced
“Is this subscription worth it?”
rk-core think "I'm paying $200/month in subscriptions. Which ones should I cut?" --quick
Example Analysis
Question: “Should I finance a new car or buy a used one with cash?”
rk-core think "I have $15K cash. Should I buy a used car outright or finance a new car at 5% APR?" --balanced
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ FINANCIAL ANALYSIS: New vs Used Car ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 💡 GIGATHINK: 10 Perspectives │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1. DEPRECIATION: New cars lose 20-30% in year one │
│ 2. FINANCING COST: 5% APR on $30K = $4K+ in interest │
│ 3. OPPORTUNITY COST: $15K invested at 7% = $1K/year │
│ 4. RELIABILITY: New car has warranty, used may not │
│ 5. INSURANCE: New cars cost more to insure │
│ 6. MAINTENANCE: Used cars may need more repairs │
│ 7. CASH FLOW: Monthly payment vs. one-time expense │
│ 8. EMERGENCY: Keeping cash = financial flexibility │
│ 9. PSYCHOLOGY: "New car smell" satisfaction factor │
│ 10. TOTAL COST: Calculate 5-year total cost of ownership │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ⚡ LASERLOGIC: Hidden Assumptions │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ FLAW: "New cars are more reliable" │
│ → Modern used cars (2-3 years old) are very reliable │
│ → Reliability varies by brand more than age │
│ │
│ FLAW: "I can afford the payment" │
│ → Affordability ≠ wisdom │
│ → Monthly payment hides total cost │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🪨 BEDROCK: First Principles │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ CORE QUESTION: │
│ A car is transportation from A to B. │
│ How much are you paying for that function? │
│ │
│ THE MATH: │
│ • Used $15K car, 5 years = $3K/year + maintenance │
│ • New $30K car financed = $6K/year + interest │
│ • Difference: $3K+/year = $15K+ over 5 years │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🛡️ PROOFGUARD: Verification │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ VERIFIED: Average new car loses 20% value in year one │
│ VERIFIED: Average used car repair costs $500-1500/year │
│ VERIFIED: S&P 500 average return ~7% after inflation │
│ TO VERIFY: Specific used car reliability ratings │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 🔥 BRUTALHONESTY: Reality Check │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH: │
│ You probably want the new car because it's nicer, │
│ not because it makes financial sense. │
│ │
│ The $15K difference could be: │
│ • 6+ months of emergency fund │
│ • Start of retirement savings │
│ • Down payment on a house │
│ │
│ HONEST QUESTION: │
│ In 3 years, will you be happier with the nice car │
│ or the extra $15K in savings? │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
SYNTHESIS:
Buy the used car with cash unless you have a specific reason
the new car's features are worth $15K+ to you. The math strongly
favors used—you avoid depreciation, interest, and preserve cash
for emergencies or investing.
Financial-Specific Profile
[profiles.financial]
tools = ["gigathink", "laserlogic", "bedrock", "proofguard", "brutalhonesty"]
gigathink_perspectives = 10
laserlogic_depth = "standard"
proofguard_sources = 3
brutalhonesty_severity = "high"
timeout = 180
Financial Decision Types
| Decision Type | Profile | Key Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Daily purchases | --quick | GigaThink, LaserLogic |
| Major purchases ($500+) | --balanced | All 5 |
| Debt decisions | --balanced | BedRock, LaserLogic |
| Investment decisions | --paranoid | See Investments |
Common Financial Biases
ReasonKit helps you catch:
| Bias | Example | How ReasonKit Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Anchoring | “$1000 off!” (from inflated price) | BedRock: What’s the actual value? |
| Mental accounting | “It’s bonus money, I can spend it” | LaserLogic: Money is fungible |
| Lifestyle inflation | Spending more as income rises | BrutalHonesty: Do you need this? |
| Sunk cost | “I already spent $X on this” | LaserLogic: Past spending is irrelevant |
| Present bias | Preferring now over future | GigaThink: Future self perspective |
Tips for Financial Analysis
- Include all costs — Purchase price, maintenance, opportunity cost, time
- Use real numbers — Not “about $X” but exact figures
- Consider time horizon — 1 year vs. 5 years vs. lifetime
- Question “normal” — Just because others do it doesn’t make it smart
- Run the comparison — Always compare to alternatives
Related
- Investment Decisions — For investment-specific analysis
- Business Decisions — For business financials
- Balanced Profile — Standard financial analysis