Example references non-existent file. The example workflow mentions editing public/script.js (line 270), but this file doesn't exist in the repository. The public directory contains many specific JavaScript files like public/dashboard.js, public/trackerscript.js, public/index.js, etc., but no generic script.js file. Update this example to reference an actual file from the codebase, or clarify that this is a hypothetical example. Consider using a real file like public/trackerscript.js or public/dashboard.js to make the example more concrete and accurate.

The example commit message format doesn't follow the convention described in CONTRIBUTING.md. CONTRIBUTING.md (lines 106-120) specifies using imperative mood and present tense (e.g., "Add feature" not "Added feature"), with 72 character limit for first line. However, this example uses "Add feature: descriptive title" which includes a colon. While not wrong, for consistency with the existing CONTRIBUTING.md file, consider aligning the format. The example here is actually fine, but the checklist should reference the CONTRIBUTING.md convention for consistency.

CORS origin configuration may be redundant or incorrect. The default value includes both http://localhost:3000 and http://localhost:5000, but the PORT is set to 5000 in this file (line 5), and server.js defaults to 3000 (line 46 of server.js). This creates confusion about which port is actually being used. If the server runs on port 5000 (as configured in this file), then http://localhost:3000 in CORS_ORIGIN would be incorrect unless there's a separate frontend server. Clarify which port(s) should be in CORS_ORIGIN based on the actual deployment setup, or add a comment explaining when multiple origins are needed (e.g., separate frontend dev server).

Extra trailing whitespace on line 14 after "Repository Setup". While this doesn't affect functionality, removing trailing whitespace is a common best practice in documentation for consistency and clean diffs.

Missing critical environment variables that are used in the codebase. The following environment variables should be added to this file:

• SMTP_HOST, SMTP_PORT, SMTP_USER, SMTP_PASS - used by services/alertService.js, services/inviteService.js, and services/reminderService.js for email functionality
• FRONTEND_URL or APP_URL - used by server.js line 40, 98, and throughout services for generating URLs
• REDIS_HOST, REDIS_PORT, REDIS_DB - used by middleware/rateLimiter.js for distributed rate limiting
• ADMIN_EMAIL or ADMIN_EMAILS - used by services/alertService.js for admin notifications
• SUPPORT_EMAIL - used by services/emailService.js
• ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY - used by services/investmentService.js and services/priceUpdateService.js
• COINGECKO_API_KEY, FINNHUB_API_KEY, POLYGON_API_KEY - used by services/priceUpdateService.js
• DEFAULT_CURRENCY, DEFAULT_LOCALE - used by services/analyticsService.js
• EMAIL_SERVICE - used by services/notificationService.js
• PLAID_WEBHOOK_SECRET - used by services/openBankingService.js
• ALERT_LOG_FILE - used by services/alertService.js

These variables are necessary for various features to work properly.

Weak example JWT secrets could be accidentally used in production. Lines 14 and 16 contain example secrets like "your_super_secret_jwt_key_change_this_in_production" and "your_refresh_token_secret_change_this". While these include warnings to change them, developers might forget. Consider adding a more prominent warning comment above the JWT section, such as: "# CRITICAL: Generate strong random secrets for production. Never use these example values!" Also consider adding a note about using a tool like openssl rand -base64 32 to generate secure secrets.

The environment variable name is inconsistent with the codebase. The code uses EMAIL_PASS (see services/emailService.js line 11, services/notificationService.js line 153), but this file specifies EMAIL_PASSWORD. This will cause email functionality to fail because the password won't be read correctly. Change EMAIL_PASSWORD to EMAIL_PASS to match the actual codebase usage.

Inconsistent reference to contribution documentation. This checklist references "CONTRIBUTING.md" on line 22, but the PR adds a new file called "CONTRIBUTION_GUIDE.md" (which is being reviewed). The existing CONTRIBUTING.md file already exists in the repository. This creates confusion about which file contributors should read. Either update this reference to point to CONTRIBUTION_GUIDE.md, or clarify that both files should be read, specifying the purpose of each.

Missing execute permissions notice. While the script has a proper shebang line, new contributors might not know they need to make it executable. Consider adding a comment in the script or in the documentation about running chmod +x setup.sh before executing it, or mention that users should run it with bash setup.sh if they encounter permission issues.

Inconsistent Git workflow between files. FIRST_CONTRIBUTION_CHECKLIST.md line 48 correctly instructs to git pull upstream main (pulling from the original repository after forking), but CONTRIBUTION_GUIDE.md line 109 shows git pull origin main (pulling from your own fork). For contributors who have forked the repository, they should consistently pull from 'upstream' to get the latest changes from the main repository. Update line 109 in CONTRIBUTION_GUIDE.md to use git pull upstream main for consistency, or add a note explaining the difference between 'origin' (your fork) and 'upstream' (original repo).