Six steps to creating an emergency fund

Keeping a reserve of cash on hand in case of an emergency is essential. For many, it’s challenging to create a dedicated emergency fund and even more difficult to maintain.

Bankrate’s 2023 annual emergency savings report found that almost half (49%) of US adults have less savings (39%) or no savings (10%) compared to a year ago, and nearly 3 in 4 are saving less due to economic factors such as inflation, rising interest rates, and employment changes.¹

If you dipped into your emergency fund recently—or never had one in the first place—make it a priority to set aside sufficient emergency savings.

Here are six steps to build and maintain a solid emergency fund:

Your emergency fund should be separate from your day-to-day cash to make sure it’s there when you need it. Ideally it can be linked to your checking account. You want the money accessible in a day, but not in an instant. Since you want this money to stay safe and liquid, it should not be invested in stocks or even bonds, where it may be subject to market fluctuations.

Some savings vehicles offer a small annual yield. It’s important to note that some of those may have minimum deposit or balance requirements. Shop around. Make sure there are no annual fees.

The amount you need will vary depending on if your individual situation. If you have dependents or are self-employed, you may want up to eight months in an emergency fund. Alternatively, if you are in a joint-income household, three months may be adequate.

If you don’t have that kind of cash on hand, set up an automatic transfer of, say $100 a month, into the account until you reach your target.

This could include your car breaking down, losing your job, the roof starting to leak, or a large medical bill.

Don’t forget to restore funds that you’ve drawn down. Unplanned expenses aren’t one and done. They may even come in threes.

Many people juggle competing financial goals—from building a budget to planning for retirement to investing in the stock market—which can make it hard to prioritize setting up an emergency fund. But planning for the unexpected can help set you on the path toward financial success in both the short and long term. 

The source of this Morgan Stanley article, Six Steps to Creating an Emergency Fund, was published on December 15, 2022.

1. Bankrate, 2023 annual emergency savings report, 2/23/23, https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/emergency-savings-report/