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Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing Claude for Financial Services plugins and explains the key concepts you need to understand before diving in.

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What You Need to Know First

Before installing anything, here is a quick primer on the three technologies that power this system:

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What is Claude Cowork?

Claude Cowork is Anthropic’s collaborative AI workspace. Think of it as a smart assistant that can work alongside you on complex tasks — reading documents, building spreadsheets, creating presentations, and writing reports. When you install financial plugins into Cowork, it gains specialized knowledge about how financial analysis is done, transforming it from a general-purpose assistant into a finance specialist.

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What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is Anthropic’s command-line interface (CLI) for Claude. It is designed for developers and power users who prefer working in a terminal. If you are comfortable with command-line tools, Claude Code gives you the same plugin capabilities as Cowork but in a text-based environment. You can install plugins, run slash commands, and interact with Claude entirely from your terminal.

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What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. In plain English, it is a standard way for Claude to connect to external data sources. Without MCP, you would need to copy-paste data from Bloomberg, FactSet, or S&P Capital IQ into your chat. With MCP, Claude connects directly to these data providers and pulls verified, institutional-grade data into your analysis automatically. Think of MCP like a universal adapter — it gives Claude a standardized way to talk to any financial data provider, document management system, or internal tool that supports the protocol.
Always install the financial-analysis core plugin first. It provides the shared foundation and all MCP data connectors that add-on plugins depend on.

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Installation

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Installing via Cowork

Install plugins directly from the Cowork marketplace:
1

Open the Plugin Marketplace

Navigate to claude.com/plugins in your browser.
2

Install the Core Plugin

Find financial-analysis and click Install. This is the foundation — it includes all 11 MCP data connectors and the core modeling skills (DCF, comps, LBO, 3-statement models). Every other plugin depends on it.
3

Install Add-on Plugins

Browse and install any additional function-specific plugins for your workflow:
  • investment-banking — CIMs, deal tracking, merger models, buyer lists
  • equity-research — Earnings reports, initiating coverage, morning notes, catalyst tracking
  • private-equity — Deal sourcing, IC memos, portfolio monitoring, returns analysis
  • wealth-management — Client meeting prep, financial plans, portfolio reports, tax-loss harvesting
4

Start a Session

Open a new Cowork session. Plugins activate automatically — skills fire when relevant, and slash commands become available. Try describing a task in natural language, like “build a DCF for Apple,” and watch the DCF skill activate.

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Understanding Slash Commands

Slash commands are shortcuts that trigger specific financial workflows. Instead of describing what you want in a paragraph, you type a command and Claude executes a structured, multi-step process. 
/comps [company]                # Comparable company analysis
/dcf [company]                  # DCF valuation model
/lbo [company]                  # LBO model for PE acquisition
/3-statement-model [template]   # Populate a 3-statement financial model
/competitive-analysis [company] # Competitive landscape analysis
/check-deck [path]              # QC a presentation for errors and consistency
/debug-model [path]             # Debug and audit a financial model
/ppt-template [path]            # Create a reusable PPT template skill
Skills fire automatically when you describe your task in natural language — you do not always need a slash command. For example, “build a DCF for Apple” will trigger the DCF workflow without using /dcf. Slash commands are useful when you want to be explicit about which workflow to run.

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Plugin Structure

Every plugin follows the same structure — all file-based, no code, no build steps. This matters because it means you can read and customize everything with a text editor: 
plugin-name/
├── .claude-plugin/plugin.json   # Manifest (name, description, version)
├── .mcp.json                    # MCP data source connections
├── commands/                    # Slash commands (.md files)
└── skills/                      # Knowledge files for specific tasks
ComponentWhat It DoesExample
SkillsEncode domain expertise and best practices. Claude draws on them automatically.The DCF Model skill teaches Claude how to calculate WACC, build sensitivity tables, and format Excel output.
CommandsExplicit actions triggered by slash commands./comps AAPL triggers the comparable company analysis workflow.
ConnectorsWire Claude to external data sources via MCP.The FactSet connector pulls real-time financial data and consensus estimates.

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MCP Data Connections

The financial-analysis core plugin includes 11 pre-configured MCP integrations. These connect Claude directly to institutional financial data sources, replacing the manual process of switching between browser tabs and copy-pasting numbers:
ProviderWhat It ProvidesWhy It Matters
DaloopaStandardized financial data, earnings modelsMachine-readable data extracted from SEC filings — no manual parsing
MorningstarFund data, equity research, ratingsComprehensive coverage of equities, funds, and bonds globally
S&P GlobalCapital IQ data, credit ratings, market intelligenceThe gold standard for company fundamentals and M&A transaction data
FactSetFinancial data, analytics, portfolio managementInstitutional-grade data with consensus estimates and real-time prices
Moody’sCredit ratings, risk assessmentEssential for credit analysis and fixed income workflows
MT NewswiresReal-time financial newsAutomated coverage of earnings releases and breaking corporate news
AieraEarnings call transcripts, event intelligenceRapid review of management commentary and forward guidance
LSEGMarket data, analytics, fixed incomeYield curve analysis, options pricing, and macro dashboards
PitchBookPrivate market data, VC/PE transactionsComprehensive private company and transaction data
ChronographPrivate equity portfolio dataFund-level performance and portfolio company KPIs
EgnyteDocument management, file storageAccess firm documents, deal files, and templates directly
MCP access requires an active subscription or API key from each respective provider. Configure credentials in your .mcp.json file or environment variables before use. You only need to configure the providers you have subscriptions for — Claude will use whatever sources are available.

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Next Steps

MCP Integrations

Learn what MCP is in depth, why data connections matter in finance, and how to configure each provider.

Customization

Learn how to adapt the plugins for your firm’s specific workflows, templates, and terminology.

Financial Analysis Overview

Explore the core plugin — learn about DCF, comps, LBO, and 3-statement modeling.

DCF Model Skill

Dive into the DCF workflow — learn the time value of money, WACC, terminal value, and sensitivity analysis.