Building an emergency fund

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Having an emergency fund is a key element of financial planning. This fund is set aside for unanticipated expenses, such as job loss, medical bills, car repairs, or other big expenditures. If you're just getting started with financial planning, making an emergency fund should be one of your top priorities.

The initial step to setting up an emergency fund is to figure out how much money you need to save. Generally, it's advised that you save three to six months' worth of your income. For instance, if your monthly income is $2,000 you should aim to save at least $6,000 in your emergency fund. If you have dependents or a high-risk occupation it would be wise to save up to nine months' worth of income.

Then you must decide where to keep your money so that it's safe and liquid. Consider opening a savings account or money market account which are FDIC insured so there's no worry of losing the money if the bank fails. Additionally, opening a separate account will make tracking your progress easier and help secure the funds from being used for other purposes.

To accumulate the money for your emergency fund there are several methods such as transferring part of each paycheck directly into the savings account or arranging for automatic monthly transfers from checking to savings accounts. You can also consider opening a separate savings account with higher interest rates in order to encourage faster growth of your funds.

Building an emergency fund is essential when it comes financial planning and everyone should do it! With some proper planning, you can assemble an emergency fund that will serve as protection in any unexpected case - both for yourself and your family!
 
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