Emergency Fund Calculator

Use our Emergency Fund Calculator to see how big your emergency fund should be and how long it will take to build it — a cushion for job loss, medical bills or a car repair.

The target is your essential monthly expenses times the months of coverage you want: housing, utilities, food, transportation, insurance and minimum debt payments, not wants like dining out. For example, $3,200 a month for 6 months is $19,200. Three months can be enough with two stable incomes; six is the usual advice; nine to twelve suits a single or self-employed income.

The results show what’s still to save after what you already have, how many months your savings cover today, and targets for 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Add a monthly contribution to see how many months it takes to reach the target — $14,200 at $400 a month takes 36 months — and how much faster it goes if you double it.

The timeline ignores interest, so keeping the fund in a high-yield savings account would get you there a little sooner; treat the results as an estimate. To see where your money goes each month, use our Monthly Budget Calculator; to see how long savings last once you start drawing on them, our How Long Will My Money Last Calculator. For costs you can plan, like car repairs or holiday gifts, use our Sinking Fund Calculator. To see how many months your cash covers alongside everything else you own and owe, use our Personal Balance Sheet Calculator.