> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://financecontext.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting Started

> A beginner-friendly guide to installing and configuring Claude for Financial Services plugins, with explanations of Cowork, Claude Code, and MCP.

# 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.

## What You Need to Know First

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

### 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.

### 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.

### 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.

<Info>
  Always install the **financial-analysis** core plugin first. It provides the shared foundation and all MCP data connectors that add-on plugins depend on.
</Info>

## Installation

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Claude Cowork">
    ## Installing via Cowork

    Install plugins directly from the Cowork marketplace:

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open the Plugin Marketplace">
        Navigate to [claude.com/plugins](https://claude.com/plugins/) in your browser.
      </Step>

      <Step title="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.
      </Step>

      <Step title="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
      </Step>

      <Step title="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.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Claude Code">
    ## Installing via Claude Code

    Use the Claude Code CLI to install plugins from the command line.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Add the Marketplace">
        Register the financial services plugin marketplace:

        ```bash theme={null}
        claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/financial-services-plugins
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step title="Install the Core Plugin">
        Install **financial-analysis** first -- this is required:

        ```bash theme={null}
        claude plugin install financial-analysis@financial-services-plugins
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step title="Install Add-on Plugins">
        Add any function-specific plugins you need:

        ```bash theme={null}
        claude plugin install investment-banking@financial-services-plugins
        claude plugin install equity-research@financial-services-plugins
        claude plugin install private-equity@financial-services-plugins
        claude plugin install wealth-management@financial-services-plugins
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step title="Verify Installation">
        Start a session to confirm plugins are active. Slash commands will be available immediately:

        ```bash theme={null}
        /comps [company]
        /dcf [company]
        /earnings [company] [quarter]
        ```
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## 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.

```bash theme={null}
/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
```

<Tip>
  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.
</Tip>

## 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
```

| Component      | What It Does                                                                    | Example                                                                                                      |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Skills**     | Encode 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. |
| **Commands**   | Explicit actions triggered by slash commands.                                   | `/comps AAPL` triggers the comparable company analysis workflow.                                             |
| **Connectors** | Wire Claude to external data sources via MCP.                                   | The FactSet connector pulls real-time financial data and consensus estimates.                                |

## 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:

| Provider     | What It Provides                                     | Why It Matters                                                         |
| ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Daloopa      | Standardized financial data, earnings models         | Machine-readable data extracted from SEC filings -- no manual parsing  |
| Morningstar  | Fund data, equity research, ratings                  | Comprehensive coverage of equities, funds, and bonds globally          |
| S\&P Global  | Capital IQ data, credit ratings, market intelligence | The gold standard for company fundamentals and M\&A transaction data   |
| FactSet      | Financial data, analytics, portfolio management      | Institutional-grade data with consensus estimates and real-time prices |
| Moody's      | Credit ratings, risk assessment                      | Essential for credit analysis and fixed income workflows               |
| MT Newswires | Real-time financial news                             | Automated coverage of earnings releases and breaking corporate news    |
| Aiera        | Earnings call transcripts, event intelligence        | Rapid review of management commentary and forward guidance             |
| LSEG         | Market data, analytics, fixed income                 | Yield curve analysis, options pricing, and macro dashboards            |
| PitchBook    | Private market data, VC/PE transactions              | Comprehensive private company and transaction data                     |
| Chronograph  | Private equity portfolio data                        | Fund-level performance and portfolio company KPIs                      |
| Egnyte       | Document management, file storage                    | Access firm documents, deal files, and templates directly              |

<Warning>
  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.
</Warning>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="MCP Integrations" icon="plug" href="/en/mcp-integrations">
    Learn what MCP is in depth, why data connections matter in finance, and how to configure each provider.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Customization" icon="sliders" href="/en/customization">
    Learn how to adapt the plugins for your firm's specific workflows, templates, and terminology.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Financial Analysis Overview" icon="chart-bar" href="/en/financial-analysis/overview">
    Explore the core plugin -- learn about DCF, comps, LBO, and 3-statement modeling.
  </Card>

  <Card title="DCF Model Skill" icon="calculator" href="/en/financial-analysis/skills/dcf-model">
    Dive into the DCF workflow -- learn the time value of money, WACC, terminal value, and sensitivity analysis.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>