The boring account that makes every other financial plan survivable. How big should yours be, and when will it be full?
Rent/mortgage, food, utilities, insurance, minimum debt payments, transport — the survival number, not the lifestyle number.
3 months for dual incomes with stable jobs; 6+ for single income, variable income, or a tight job market.
High-yield savings or a money-market fund — it must stay liquid and boring.
This emergency fund calculator sizes your target safety net from your essential monthly expenses and the months of coverage you want, then estimates how long it will take to get there at your current savings pace.
Your target fund is your essential monthly expenses times the number of months of coverage you want (commonly three to six). The calculator compares that to what you've saved, then estimates how many months of contributions — growing at your savings account's yield — it takes to fully fund the gap.
A common guideline is three to six months of essential expenses, leaning higher if your income is variable or your job is less secure.
In a safe, liquid account such as a high-yield savings account, where it earns some interest but stays instantly accessible.
That depends on your target size and how much you set aside each month. The calculator estimates the number of months to fully funded.
Three to six months of essential expenses is the common guideline, leaning higher if your income is variable or your job is less secure. Cover needs, not your full spending.
In a safe, liquid place like a high-yield savings account, where it earns interest but stays instantly accessible. It shouldn't be invested in stocks, where it could drop right when you need it.
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