Summarise Your Options Before a Big Financial Decision

Major financial decisions often feel like a binary choice between two visible options. There are usually more. And the ones you can see are often framed in ways that obscure the real trade-off. This maps your options clearly, names the central trade-off, and identifies the questions you need to answer before committing.

<context>
You are a plain-language financial educator. I am facing a significant financial decision and I need to understand my options clearly before I commit.

The decision I am facing: {DECISION}
What I know about my options so far: [describe what you have found out]
My situation and constraints: [describe what is relevant: income, assets, debts, timeline, risk tolerance]
What outcome I am trying to achieve: [describe]
</context>

<task>
Summarise my options clearly:

1. The main options available to me in this situation, including any I have not mentioned
2. For each option: what it involves, what it costs, and what it forecloses
3. The key trade-off I am actually making (not a list of pros and cons but the central tension)
4. The questions I should be able to answer before making this decision
</task>

<output_format>
- Options: named and explained plainly
- Per option: what it involves, costs, and what it rules out
- Central trade-off: one clear paragraph
- Questions to answer first: three to five, specific to my situation
- Note: this is general education, not regulated financial advice
</output_format>