Getting Started 8 min read Updated August 2026

Getting Started with Claude Finance Skills: SKILL.md Templates and MCP Tools Explained

Complete beginner's guide to using ClaudeFinLab. Learn what Claude is, what SKILL.md templates are, how to add a skill to Claude Projects, what MCP is, and how to install MCP tools in Claude Desktop — step by step.

This guide assumes you know nothing. Whether you've never used Claude before or you're a regular user who hasn't tried skills yet — start here. Five minutes to understand everything, ten minutes to be set up.

What is Claude?

Claude is an AI assistant made by Anthropic. It works like a very capable analyst or specialist you can talk to in plain English — you describe a problem, give it some data, and it produces a thoughtful, structured response. Finance professionals use Claude for tasks like drafting credit memos, running DCF models, writing variance commentary, analyzing regulatory filings, and structuring ESG disclosures.

You can use Claude at claude.ai in a browser — no installation required. A free plan exists, but most professionals use Claude.ai Pro ($20/month) or Claude for Teams for longer contexts and more usage. Claude Desktop is the installable app version for your computer.

ClaudeFinLab does not make Claude. We make finance-specific tools and templates that run inside Claude, extending what Claude can do for financial workflows. Think of it like this: Claude is the engine; ClaudeFinLab provides finance-specific maps, instruments, and settings that make it do exactly what a credit analyst, actuarial team, or FP&A department needs.

Two Types of Skills: SKILL.md and MCP

ClaudeFinLab offers two kinds of tools. They solve different problems and require different setup. Here's the difference in plain terms:

📄 SKILL.md ⚡ MCP Tool
What it does Teaches Claude a professional workflow and makes it follow it automatically Gives Claude access to live data, real calculations, and external APIs
How it works You paste a block of text into Claude's project settings — that text is the skill A small server runs on your computer (or in the cloud); Claude connects to it
Setup difficulty Copy → Paste → Done. 30 seconds. Edit one config file, restart Claude Desktop. ~5 minutes.
Requires Any Claude plan (claude.ai Pro or Teams) Claude Desktop app (free download) + free ClaudeFinLab API key
Example Credit Memo Drafting Assistant — Claude asks the right questions and writes the sections in order SEC EDGAR Tool — Claude looks up NVDA's latest 10-K filing in real time

Most users start with SKILL.md templates because there's nothing to install. MCP tools add live data access and are worth setting up if you want real-time calculations and data lookups without copy-pasting.

How to Use a SKILL.md Template

Every SKILL.md page on ClaudeFinLab has a "Copy SKILL.md" button. That copies a block of text — this is the skill. Here's what to do with it:

  1. Go to claude.ai and sign in. (If you don't have an account, create one — there's a free plan.)
  2. Create a new Project. Click "Projects" in the left sidebar, then "New Project". Give it a name like "Credit Analysis" or "Actuarial Reserve Work".
  3. Open Project Settings. Inside the project, click the gear icon or "Project settings" / "Instructions".
  4. Paste the SKILL.md text into the "Project instructions" or "System prompt" field. Click Save.
  5. Start a new chat inside the project. Claude now has the skill active. Just describe your task — Claude will follow the structured workflow automatically.

What "project instructions" does: These are instructions Claude reads before every conversation in that project. By pasting a SKILL.md into it, you're telling Claude: "In this project, always behave as a professional credit analyst / actuarial specialist / ESG officer — follow these steps, use these frameworks, produce output in this format." You do this once per skill; it stays active for every chat in that project.

You can have multiple projects — one for credit analysis, one for FP&A, one for compliance — each with a different skill loaded. Switching between them gives you the right professional workflow for whatever you're working on.

What is MCP? (Model Context Protocol)

MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It's an open technical standard that lets Claude connect to external tools, databases, and APIs. When Claude has an MCP tool connected, it can do things it can't do on its own — look up live SEC filings, run a real DCF calculation with a validated model, screen a name against the OFAC sanctions list, or pull the current yield curve.

Think of MCP like a power outlet. Claude is the appliance. MCP is the standard that lets you plug in different tools — and ClaudeFinLab provides the finance-specific tools that plug in through that outlet.

Without MCP: Claude analyzes data you give it. It's smart but it can't access the internet or run calculations against real-time sources.

With MCP: Claude can call live tools during your conversation. You say "look up AAPL's latest 10-Q" — Claude calls the EDGAR MCP tool and returns the actual filing data, right in your chat.

How to Install MCP Tools in Claude Desktop

MCP tools require Claude Desktop — the installable app for Mac and Windows. If you haven't installed it yet, download it free at claude.ai/download.

Step 1: Get your free ClaudeFinLab API key.

Register at claudefinancelab.com (the button at the top of any page). You'll get an API key — a long string starting with mcp_. Copy it somewhere safe. This key gives you 100 free MCP calls per day. You'll need it in the next step.

Step 2: Open Claude Desktop settings.

On Mac: Claude Desktop menu → Preferences → Developer → Edit Config
On Windows: Claude Desktop → File → Settings → Developer → Edit Config

This opens a file called claude_desktop_config.json. It may be empty or may already have some content.

Step 3: Add the ClaudeFinLab MCP server block.

Add the following inside the "mcpServers" section of the file (create that section if it doesn't exist):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "claudefinancelab": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-remote", "https://claudefinancelab.com/edgar/sse"],
      "env": {
        "AUTHORIZATION": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with the key from Step 1. Save the file.

Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop.

Quit and reopen the app. When Claude starts, you should see a small hammer/tools icon in the chat input area — this means MCP is connected. Click it to see which tools are available.

Troubleshooting: If you don't see the hammer icon after restarting, check that the JSON in the config file is valid (no missing commas or brackets). You can paste it into jsonlint.com to check. Also confirm you have Node.js installed (node --version in a terminal should return a version number).

Step 5: Test it.

In a new Claude Desktop chat, try: "Use the EDGAR tool to look up the most recent 10-K filing for Microsoft." Claude should call the tool and return real data from SEC EDGAR. If it works, all 10 finance MCP servers are available — SEC filings, portfolio risk, valuation models, compliance screening, market data, and more.

Which Skills Are Available?

ClaudeFinLab has over 200 finance skills across 19 professional categories:

Browse all 19 categories on the homepage, or go directly to the Learn section for workflow guides on how professionals in each area are using Claude.

Do I Need to Know How to Code?

No. SKILL.md templates require zero code — you're copying and pasting text. MCP installation requires editing one JSON config file, which is a plain text file with a specific structure. The JSON block above is the complete configuration; you just replace the API key. If you can edit a Word document, you can edit a JSON file.

Is It Free?

ClaudeFinLab is free at 100 MCP API calls per day — no credit card required. The SKILL.md templates are always free with no call limits. Claude itself requires a subscription (claude.ai Pro is $20/month; Teams plans start at $30/user/month). There's no additional charge for using ClaudeFinLab tools on top of your Claude subscription.