Emergency Fund Calculator
Calculate how big an emergency fund you need for your expenses.
An emergency fund is the financial cushion that turns a job loss, medical bill or car breakdown from a crisis into an inconvenience. The standard advice is three to six months of essential expenses, but the right number depends on your job security, dependents and risk tolerance.
Enter your monthly essential expenses and how many months of cushion you want, and this calculator shows your target fund, plus common three- and six-month benchmarks. It's the first, most important number in any financial plan.
How to use Emergency Fund Calculator
- 1
Enter your figures
Fill in the fields with your numbers.
- 2
Read the results
The calculation updates instantly.
- 3
Adjust to compare
Change any input to explore scenarios.
Features
- Instant calculation as you type
- Clear, itemized results
- Runs privately in your browser
Frequently asked questions
Common mistakes to avoid
- Entering a percentage as a decimal (0.08) instead of a whole number (8).
- Comparing options on one metric alone instead of the full picture.
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