A Claude Project for Firm Procedures and NIGO Fixes

Collect what you actually consult when paperwork bounces.

1. Make a folder on your computer called "Claude Project Library".
2. Add the firm's own procedures: account opening, transfers, beneficiary changes, distribution requests, the NIGO checklist.
3. Add the custodian's blank form instructions and any published guides for advisors. Download them from the custodian's public site.
4. Rename each file with the document name and a version or download date, for example "Custodian Transfer Instructions downloaded 2026-10-06".

What you should see: a folder of 5 to 15 files, each named so you can tell what it is without opening it. Troubleshooting: If a file is a scan with no selectable text, find a text version. Claude reads PDFs of 100 pages or fewer including visuals, and longer PDFs as text only, per the Claude upload help page. Split very long manuals into sections.

1. Sign in at claude.ai.
2. Look for Projects in the left sidebar and choose the option to create a new project.
3. Name it "Paperwork Procedures Library".
4. Add a short description such as "Firm procedures and custodian blank form instructions. No client data."

What you should see: an empty project page with an area for project knowledge and a place for project instructions. Troubleshooting: If you cannot find Projects, your plan may not include it. Check the plan comparison on the Claude site rather than guessing at a workaround.

1. On the project page, find the project knowledge area and use its add or upload control.
2. Select all the files from your library folder.
3. Wait until every file shows as added.

What you should see: a list of your documents under project knowledge. Claude's help page notes that large knowledge bases can use a retrieval approach so more material fits, so Claude may pull passages rather than read every file in full each time. Troubleshooting: If one file fails, check its size and type against the Claude upload help page, or convert it to a PDF or text file.

Find the project instructions box and paste the following.

You are a reference assistant for a paraplanner at an independent wealth management firm. Answer only from the documents in this project's knowledge. For every answer, name the document and the section or page it came from. If the documents do not answer the question, write "not in the documents" and stop. Never guess a custodian requirement, signature rule, or form version. Never fill in or complete a form. Do not give investment, tax, or legal advice. If the question quotes client details, tell me to remove them and ask again. When two documents disagree, show both and say which one is newer by its file name.

What you should see: the instructions saved in the project. Troubleshooting: If answers arrive without document names, add a line to the instructions that says "End every answer with a Sources list."

Pick a past rejection you resolved. Ask the Project the question as you would have asked it then, with no client details.

What you should see: an answer that cites a document and section matching what you remember. Troubleshooting: If it cites the wrong document, rename files more clearly and re-ask.

Team sharing exists on some Claude plans (Team and Enterprise, per the Claude Projects help page). Turn it on only if your firm's plan includes it and the CCO agrees. Otherwise the Project stays private to you.

Custodian instructions change. Add a recurring calendar reminder to compare each custodian file's version date with the latest version on the custodian's site, and replace the file if the site has a newer one.