What’s in your emergency fund? Do you have cash on hand to get your through unexpected lean times?
Rob Carrick over at the Globe and Mail think’s it’s time to focus on building your emergency fund in 2016.
Now seems an opportune time to return to the emergency fund theme. The Bank of Canada indicated last week that it would consider using negative interest rates, an extraordinary measure already in use in some European countries, if the economy worsens significantly. Governor Stephen Poloz believes the makings of a recovery are in place, and he doesn’t expect to have to resort to negative rates. And yet, oil prices last week hit their lowest point in six years.
I took a look at our household emergency fund recently and decided we needed to up our game. How about you?
Definition of an emergency fund: Money sitting in a high-interest savings account at a bank or credit union. These accounts are insulated from the ups and downs of the stock and bond markets, and easily accessible online. Interest rates are pitiful on these accounts, but the emphasis is on safety over returns.
Read the full article here.