Emergency Fund Calculator
Compare emergency-fund coverage targets, count existing savings, and estimate the time to build a reserve with monthly deposits and a chosen APY.
Estimate a cash buffer from core expenses and a set of household assumptions, then see how long your current savings and monthly deposits could take to reach it. The month adjustments are Payney assumptions, not a personalized recommendation.
Explain my result
Sends your inputs and result to the AI you choose.
View or copy prompt
Quick answers
Common cases, computed by this calculator with the assumptions listed under the method. Select one to load it above.
- $3,000 a month in core costs, one salaried income, no dependents?
- $15,000 (5 months of core costs) Illustrative fund target Open in the calculator
- $4,500 a month with dependents and one income?
- $27,000 (6 months of core costs) Illustrative fund target Open in the calculator
- $2,500 a month, two salaried incomes, no dependents?
- $7,500 (3 months of core costs) Illustrative fund target Open in the calculator
How the target is set
This illustrative model starts at three months of core expenses. It adds two for one salaried income, five for variable income, one for dependents and one for a high deductible or older home/car. These weights are planning assumptions, not a validated risk score. Select your own Coverage target to replace those adjustments with a chosen number of months.
How savings grow
Monthly rate = (1 + APY/100)^(1/12) − 1. Interest is credited before each month-end deposit. The simulation stops at the target or 600 months; an unreached target is shown explicitly. Rates remain constant and taxes are excluded. Starting with $10,000 and no deposits at 4% APY gives $10,400 after one year.
Source
The CFPB emergency-fund guide explains why the amount and where you hold it depend on your circumstances.
Calculation notes updated .