# Explain what changed between two versions of my forecast

A forecast-to-forecast walk that shows what changed, why, and whether the change is real or just timing.

- Topic: Finance & Accounting
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Finance, Analyze, Explain & Teach, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/explain-what-changed-between-two-versions-of-my-forecast

## Prompt

```text
Help me explain what changed between two versions of our forecast.

**Versions compared:** [e.g. "Q2 reforecast vs. original budget" or "this month's forecast vs. last month's"]
**Numbers for both versions:** [PASTE: by line, by month or quarter]
**Changes I know about:** [new deals, lost customers, hiring delays, price changes, FX, accounting reclasses]
**Audience:** [CFO / CEO / board / budget owners]

Steps:
1. Calculate the change by line and period.
2. Group changes into categories: actuals replacing forecast (already happened), volume, price, timing shifts between periods, cost savings or overruns, FX, reclassifications, and new or removed items.
3. Separate full-year changes from timing moves that net to zero across the year.
4. Identify changes that lack an explanation.

Return:
- A walk table: Prior version total | Each category of change | New version total, with the sum reconciling exactly.
- A table of the 10 largest changes: Line | Change | Category | Explanation | Owner.
- Risks and opportunities not yet in the new forecast.
- A 5-bullet summary written for [AUDIENCE].
- Questions to put to budget owners for unexplained changes.

Use only my data; do not invent explanations. Mark unexplained movements [ASK OWNER].
```

## What to fill in

- PASTE: by line, by month or quarter
- CFO / CEO / board / budget owners
- AUDIENCE
- ASK OWNER

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