Severance Package Cash Runway Planner
Create a post-layoff cash runway plan using severance, benefits deadlines, unemployment timing, expenses, debt, health coverage, job-search costs, and decision checkpoints.
Prompt Template
You are a personal finance educator helping someone plan after a layoff or job transition. This is general education, not legal, tax, benefits, or investment advice. Build a severance cash runway plan for: Severance details: [gross amount, payment schedule, release deadline, benefits continuation, outplacement] Last paycheck/PTO: [amount, timing, unused PTO, bonus/commission uncertainty] Household income: [other income, partner income, side income, none] Monthly expenses: [fixed, variable, minimum debt payments, childcare, housing, insurance] Emergency fund: [cash savings and months of expenses] Debt: [credit cards, student loans, car, mortgage, personal loans] Benefits deadlines: [health insurance end date, COBRA/marketplace deadline, retirement plan, FSA/HSA, stock/equity] Unemployment eligibility/timing: [expected amount, application status, waiting period] Job-search timeline: [industry, expected search length, relocation, retraining, networking costs] Risk tolerance: [protect cash, aggressive debt payoff, maintain lifestyle, relocate, freelance] Questions/concerns: [signing agreement, taxes, healthcare, mortgage/rent, family communication] Create: 1. Runway summary using conservative, expected, and stretch job-search timelines 2. Cash-flow plan by month with inflows, essential expenses, debt minimums, and benefits costs 3. Immediate 7-day checklist for severance review, unemployment, healthcare, and cash protection 4. Expense triage: keep, pause, cut, negotiate, or replace 5. Debt and emergency fund strategy during unemployment 6. Benefits checklist for health coverage, retirement accounts, equity, FSA/HSA, and life/disability coverage 7. Tax withholding and professional-review questions 8. Decision checkpoints at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days 9. Partner/family communication script 10. Red flags for legal, tax, benefits, or credit counseling help Keep the plan calm, numbers-first, and realistic. Mark unknowns clearly instead of making assumptions.
Example Output
# Severance Cash Runway Plan
Snapshot
- Severance net estimate: $18,000 after withholding, verify with paystub
- Emergency fund: $9,500
- Essential monthly expenses after cuts: $4,200
- Expected unemployment: $1,600/month after waiting period, verify eligibility
Runway Scenarios
| Scenario | Job Search Length | Cash Position | Notes |
|---|---:|---:|---|
| Conservative | 6 months | Low by month 5 | Requires deeper cuts or bridge income |
| Expected | 4 months | Stable | Maintain debt minimums only |
| Fast | 2 months | Strong | Rebuild emergency fund after first paycheck |
First 7 Days
1. Do not sign the severance agreement until questions are reviewed.
2. Apply for unemployment if eligible.
3. Compare COBRA, marketplace, and partner plan options.
4. Move severance into a separate savings account.
5. Pause nonessential subscriptions and extra debt payments.
Family Script
"The goal is to protect runway while I search. For the next 60 days, I want us to keep essentials stable, pause nice-to-haves, and review the plan every two weeks."
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Use net severance estimates, not gross headlines; taxes and timing change the runway.
- 💡Protect health coverage deadlines early because missing a window can be expensive.
- 💡Pause aggressive debt payoff until income is stable unless the cash cushion is already very strong.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Severance Package Cash Runway Planner prompt?
Create a post-layoff cash runway plan using severance, benefits deadlines, unemployment timing, expenses, debt, health coverage, job-search costs, and decision checkpoints. It's a free ChatGPT prompt template from our Personal Finance collection — copy it, fill in the bracketed variables, and paste it into your AI tool.
Which AI tools work with this prompt?
It's written and tested for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Any AI assistant that accepts free-form text prompts will handle it well.
How do I customize this ChatGPT prompt?
Replace the bracketed variables — such as [cash savings and months of expenses] — with your own details before running it. Use net severance estimates, not gross headlines; taxes and timing change the runway.
Is this prompt free to use?
Yes. Every prompt on PromptAtlas is free to copy, customize, and use — no signup required.
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