Where to put an emergency fund when interest rates are low?
Accounts such as an online savings account and a money market mutual funds are a good place to keep your savings. Avoid keeping emergency savings in cash at your house, in illiquid accounts like CDs, or in risky investments like stocks.
In addition to CDs and high-yield savings, consider investments such as bonds, stocks and real estate investment trusts that may offset lower savings and CD returns.
- High-yield bank accounts. Call it a sunny day fund—online savings with no monthly fees. ...
- Money market accounts. When deciding where to invest your emergency fund, don't forget about money market accounts. ...
- Certificates of deposit (CDs) ...
- IRA accounts.
Once you have this amount in your emergency savings account, you can focus on growing it to your personal savings target while also tackling other goals. Those general saving targets are often called the “3-6-9 rule”: savings of 3, 6, or 9 months of take-home pay.
Ideally, you should have enough emergency savings to cover six months of household expenses. You can't easily access money that's in your CD without incurring penalties or fines, so a high-interest savings account is a better option.
In a financial climate where interest rates are likely to fall, locking in a high-rate, long-term CD can be a smart move. By depositing $10,000 into a CD now, you can take advantage of currently high rates, protect yourself against future rate cuts and enjoy significant returns on a low-risk investment.
- Growth stocks. ...
- High-yield bonds. ...
- Real estate investment trusts (REITs). ...
- Preferred stocks. ...
- Dividend-paying stocks.
Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.
So if you spend $5,000 per month, your first emergency fund savings milestone should be $2,500 to cover spending shocks. For your longer-term goal of an emergency fund that will cover income shocks, aim to save $15,000 to $30,000 total.
The seven percent savings rule provides a simple yet powerful guideline—save seven percent of your gross income before any taxes or other deductions come out of your paycheck. Saving at this level can help you make continuous progress towards your financial goals through the inevitable ups and downs of life.
Is a 3 month emergency fund enough?
How much emergency fund should I have? Sudden car repairs, medical emergencies or job loss can all lead to unexpected debt if you're not prepared. It's difficult to predict how much these or other emergencies could cost — but three to six months' worth of expenses is a good goal.
The Rule of 300 multiplies your current income by 300 to estimate your retirement needs. For example, if you currently spend $4,000 a month, you'll multiply that amount by 300, which means you'll likely need $1,200,000 when you retire.

Emergency savings should be kept somewhere that offers reasonable interest rates without making the money too hard to access. Accounts such as an online savings account and a money market mutual funds are a good place to keep your savings.
- Early withdrawal penalties. The biggest potential risk to your CD balance is fees. ...
- Bank failures. ...
- High-risk CDs. ...
- Fluctuating interest rates. ...
- Inflation.
- A simple savings account connected to your checking account.
- A money market account that comes with a debit card or check-writing privileges.
- A high-yield savings account that pays a higher interest rate and allows you to transfer money quickly and directly to your checking account.
Term | Top APY | Interest earnings |
---|---|---|
6 months | 4.65% | $229.86 |
1 year | 4.45% | $445.00 |
3 years | 4.15% | $1,297.38 |
5 years | 4.25% | $2,313.47 |
When you're investing a large amount of money in a CD, a high yield can earn you thousands of dollars more than a low one. If you were to deposit $100,000 into a one-year CD that pays a competitive APY of 5 percent, you'd have around $5,000 in interest when the term is up, for a total balance of $105,000.
While there aren't any financial institutions paying 7% on a CD right now, there are other banks and credit unions that pay high CD rates. Compare today's top CD and savings rates.
Investing in real estate, upping your contribution into a retirement account, starting an emergency fund, moving your money into a money market account, or using a no-penalty CD are all good moves, even if the Fed cuts rates further.
- Paying Off Debts Is Similar to Investing. ...
- Stock Trading on a Short-Term Basis. ...
- Art and Similar Collectibles Might Help You Diversify Your Portfolio. ...
- Junk Bonds. ...
- Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) ...
- Investing in Real Estate. ...
- Long-Term Investments in Stocks. ...
- Creating Your Own Company.
What is the safest investment with the highest return?
- High-yield savings accounts.
- Certificates of deposit.
- U.S. Treasury bonds.
- Treasury inflation-protected securities.
- Investment-grade corporate bonds.
- Municipal bonds.
- Fixed annuities.
Now you know that I want you to have far more than three months of living costs set aside. One year is my sweet spot advice for being prepared for major financial setbacks. But if you have no emergency savings, I think making three months of living costs your savings goal is beyond fantastic.
Most experts recommend that you save three to six months' worth of expenses to build out your emergency savings. However, the exact amount you need should be the amount that you're comfortable with if unexpected expenses, such as medical bills or car repairs, should arise.
How Much You Should Have in Your Emergency Savings. Here's a Dave Ramsey principle we agree with: If you make less than $20,000 per year, aim to have at least $500 in emergency savings. If you make more than $20,000, then aim for at least $1,000.
Generally, your emergency fund should have somewhere between 3 and 6 months of living expenses. 1 That doesn't mean 3 to 6 months of your salary, but how much it would cost you to get by for that length of time.