Funds you set aside for short-term planned and unplanned expenses. It is often recommended to have 3-6 months of living expenses available for emergencies, plus dollars earmarked for vacations, gifts, property taxes, etc. Money in savings should be easily accessible and earn modest interest.
#5 of 13 Things People Can Do with Money | by WealthPhase
Consumerism Commentary tracks the best 12 month CD rates of 2017. You'll find information on fees, penalties, and minimum deposits for these certificates of deposit, too.
To quote the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Into each life some rain must fall—Some days must be dark and dreary." To deal with those dark days, having an emergency fund is a necessity. Think of it as a shock absorber for the bumps of life, one that'll keep you from adding to the load of debt you doubtless already carry.
If you’ve taken a modern approach to banking, with automated and electronic payments, you’ll need to start planning in advance before you switch banks. Here are the priorities, if you’ve already chosen your new bank. (downloadable checklist included.)
Saving money is a tall order for the average American. In fact, 69% have less than $1,000 in the bank. Whether you're on a tight budget or simply unskilled at personal finance, the time to change is now. Consider planning for these expenses to avoid unnecessary debt and worry.
Money market accounts can make great alternatives to traditional savings accounts for your cash reserves. Here’s what you need to know about this form of savings vehicle.
Simply depositing money in the bank leaves it too available. Mobile banking, debit cards, credit cards, and one-click online shopping leave your money exposed to every spending whim. That's why it is so important to reduce access to your cash.
Want to know if you're getting a good rate on your savings and CDs? Take a look at Bankrate's national averages.
So you finally have some extra money in your monthly budget. Should you put it in savings or use it to pay down debt?
Scraping by from paycheck to paycheck is stressful. But, it doesn’t have to mean you can't set aside some money in savings.
What stops many of us from saving is the desire for more stuff—more clothes, new cars, a bigger house, that new...you get the point. Being content with what we have is an important step to begin or increase saving money.
Emergencies and unexpected expenses are part of life. They are extremely stressful when you don't have money in cash reserves to pay for a car repair, airfare to attend a funeral, or the deductibles and co-pays a trip to the ER.
Forget the bad things you've heard about Millennials. They are savvy to some pretty healthy money habits. Each of these six ideas can help you put away more money for the future.
“Our initial goals were to have three months of living expenses saved up, as well as all our categories buffered by one month. After we met those goals, we set new goals: saving for a down payment and a few big vacations, like New Zealand!”
Checking accounts are not the ideal place for cash reserves. But if you are going to keep large balances in checking, you might as well earn a higher interest rate.
But you can take steps to maximize the interest you receive on your CDs and not tie up all of your money for the long-term.
Many people are familiar with CDs — certificates of deposit. But fewer know about market-linked CDs, also known as equity CDs. This article emphasizes the benefits.
Market-linked CDs sound great on the surface, but there are risks. Consider the pros and cons before you invest.