When Can I Spend My Emergency Fund?
Most professional financial advisors, and most non-professional know-it-alls as well, say that you should keep three to six months worth of expenses in an emergency fund for, well… emergencies. They aren’t wrong. You never know when life will throw you a curve ball, and when it does, you don’t want a few months of problems to turn into a crushing blow to years of hard financial work and smart decisions. However, the reality is that an emergency fund will never stand up to the worst financial calamities (long-term medical problems). Another reality that causes a lot of people stress is that your emergency fund is designed to be used. Over the course of your life, you fund will likely get drawn down, and then get refilled by more saving. Emergency Fund versus Reserve Fund When I was a professional financial advisor in Denver, I stopped calling it an emergency fund when people would find themselves torn about using it when they needed the money for something worthwhile. For example, imagine your son or daughter spent the last several years in the band. During that time, there have been numerous practices, and your child has built up a real love for …