A financial back-up plan
Build an emergency fund to deal with unexpected expenses.
Published Thursday, January 10, 2019 to Advice
The start of the year is a great time to set goals and create a budget. As you’re planning, make one of your goals to start or build your emergency fund. Emergency funds are useful in case you or a family member lose a job or have unexpected expenses like a sudden illness.
If you’re just starting your emergency fund, begin with a small goal and build your savings over time. You should eventually try to save enough to pay your bills for three to six months. Even if you can’t work, you can continue to pay things like rent, utilities or a car payment by using those savings.
If you’re making a budget plan for the year, include your emergency fund. If you don’t create a formal budget, try to save some money from each paycheck. You can also put extra income, like your tax refund, toward it, and even small contributions will add up in the end. Try eating out or grabbing a coffee one fewer time per week and putting the money you would have spent in your emergency fund. You can open an additional free savings account to better track your progress and keep your emergency money separate.
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