The Emergency Fund Re-examined
Practically every financial planning and personal finance book you’ll ever read advises you to start an emergency savings fund, or rainy day fund as some call it, to meet unexpected financial emergencies, as one of the first steps you should take to build wealth. Some advise a fixed dollar amount, such as $500 or $1,000, be set aside for financial emergencies. I’ve seen recommendations ranging from $500 to $12,000. Others recommend saving a certain number of month’s income for financial emergencies, such as three month’s income, six month’s income, or as much as twelve month’s income. Still others suggest setting aside a certain number of month’s living expenses, such as three month’s living expenses, six month’s living expenses, or even twelve month’s living expenses, to meet unexpected financial emergencies. So… With all this conflicting...
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