Emergency fund calculator
Enter essential expenses, savings and monthly contributions to plan a reserve for unexpected costs or lost income.
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7 months of essential expenses
Why 7 months?
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This planning model starts with three months of expenses. One risk factor raises the target to six months. Each additional factor adds one month.
- Baseline
- 3 months
- Any risk factor (Variable income)
- +3 months
- Single-income household
- +1 month
- Recommended
- 7 months
The common range is 3 to 6 months: $9,000 to $18,000 at your essentials.
- Monthly essentials
- $3,000
- Months to goal
- 34 months
Shared links include the numbers you enter.
How the target scales for the $3,000/month example
| Months of expenses | Savings target |
|---|---|
| 3 | $9,000 |
| 6 | $18,000 |
| 7 | $21,000 |
| 9 | $27,000 |
| 12 | $36,000 |
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Months to goal, by contribution
| Monthly contribution | Months to reach the $21,000 example target |
|---|---|
| $250 | 68 months |
| $500 | 34 months |
| $750 | 23 months |
| $1,000 | 17 months |
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How to use this tool
- Add essential monthly expenses.
- Choose income stability, household income and whether you support dependents.
- Enter savings, monthly contributions and an optional savings yield to estimate time to reach your target.
How we calculate it
This planning model starts at three months of essentials. Any one selected risk factor raises that to six months; each additional factor adds one month.
Savings interest uses the entered annual percentage yield. Contributions arrive at month end. The calculation stops after 100 years. A blank yield field means no interest.