An emergency fund is an often discussed topic among financial planners and consultants. An emergency fund is the 2nd building block of a financial plan and is critical to have in place for a myriad of reasons. Many planners advise that 6 months of income is an adequate amount of funds to set aside for emergencies. I believe that the amount depends on your circumstances. If you are a small business owner, then your emergency fund may need to be larger to bridge you through things such as non-essential business closures. I would suggest for the average family, a minimum of two months of income set aside for emergencies such as home, auto, and medical issues. You must realize, even with a good insurance program in place, the average claim is paid in 60 days. Your family will need access to funds while the death claim is being processed. You do not want you family cashing in IRAs and 401ks to survive while waiting on insurance proceeds. An emergency fund must be liquid and accessible. Do not categorize your retirement assets as emergency funds. Even qualified funds require distribution request and may incur early withdraw penalties and taxes. I suggest emergency funds be held in a checking, savings, money market, or 30 day CD. I believe emergency funds are assets that you can get your hands on with 24-48 hrs. You must be obedient to your financial plan and possibly need to change your budget to create the emergency fund as quickly as possible. Once the emergency plan is in place, avoid using the funds for anything other than emergencies and review your current needs frequently to make sure that your emergency fund requirements are adequate at all times.
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