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The importance of an emergency fund

Importance of emergency fund

The importance of an emergency fund

Emergency fund

Importance of emergency fund

The importance of an emergency fund

Hindsight is good, but foresight is better. You may be earning well in a cushy job today, but tomorrow could WELL be a different ball-game. An emergency fund should be a key constituent of your financial security. An emergency fund can help you look forward to the future without worrying about sudden expenses.

One thing sure about emergencies

Emergencies can invariably occur, and when a financial emergency strikes you need to be prepared. Every individual and family have a certain set of fixed expenses every month which range from grocery bills, utilities, EMIs, rent, school fees, etc.

Without an emergency fund, any income loss can have a deep impact on your finances. This is because while your income will stop, your expenditures won’t. An emergency fund can help you tide over the short period where outflows are much greater than inflows. No matter how hard it is to save, you do  need to build an emergency fund. Your emergency fund needs to be liquid enough for you to be able to withdraw and use whenever required. You may choose to park your fund in a bank account, a term deposit or liquid mutual funds. Check out Standard Chartered’s offerings here.

How much is okay

We live in an economic environment when anything can happen. The emergency fund is for a situation when bad things happen. Loss of employment or health reasons may keep some out of action for a few months. Or it could be a time when there is a sudden need to part with a large amount of money and you have no other option but to meet it. So, it is imperative to save for a separate emergency fund. These funds should not be kept in your normal banking account so that you do not get to touch them except in the case of an emergency. Opening a separate 2-in-1 savings account could be a smart move, where you can park your money in a fixed deposit but also get the flexibility of a savings account.

Many people ask how much should be saved in emergency funds. Well, the correct answer depends on your needs. It is ideal to save in multiples of your monthly expenses. You should, at a minimum, have an emergency cushion that can take care of 6 months of your expenses, extending to 10-12 months of your monthly expenses. This will ensure that in the worst scenarios,  your goals are covered for those 10-12 months.

No loans required

In the absence of an emergency fund, people tend to look at personal loans to fulfill the monetary gap. This is especially true for healthcare expenses. While your emergency fund will tide you over in this case, a timely health insurance can ensure that huge medical bills do not have to be funded out of your own pocket.  Apart from medical emergencies, house repairs, automobile repairs, and sudden need for cash for a family member may trigger an emergency money requirement. Personal loans are a high-cost method of tending to financial needs. If you have a proper emergency fund, you can use the savings to comfortably tide over the difficult period.

An emergency savings fund is essential for an individual’s financial health and well-being.  Many families have faced extreme difficulties by not creating and maintaining an emergency fund. By depositing a small amount each month, you can easily have a solid and robust emergency fund within a few years. You can start with Systematic Investment Plans to build such a fund, and once you reach the desired corpus you can park the amount in liquid instruments that will ensure that you have the money at hand when you need it.


This article is for information and educational purposes only. It is meant for use only as a reference tool. It has not been prepared for any particular person or class of persons. The products and services mentioned may not be suitable for everyone and should not be used as a basis for making investment decisions. This article does not constitute investment advice nor is it an offer, solicitation or invitation to transact in any investment or insurance product. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, and you may not recover the amount of your original investment. Prior to transacting, you should obtain independent financial advice. In the event that you choose not to seek independent professional advice, you should consider whether the product is suitable for you. You should refer to the relevant offer documents for detailed information.

Standard Chartered Bank, India is a distributor of mutual funds and a referrer of other third party investment products and does not provide any investment advisory services. Mutual Funds are subject to market risks. Please read scheme related documents carefully before investing. Past performance of the sponsor / AMC / Mutual Fund does not indicate the future performance of the scheme(s). All products are subject to suitability and availability.

Standard Chartered Bank, India having its principal place of business at Crescenzo Building C-38/C-39 G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (East), Mumbai – 400051 is a licensed Corporate Agent of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited (IRDAI Registration No. 105)  for life insurance products, Royal Sundaram General Insurance Co. Limited (IRDAI Registration No. 102), Bharti AXA General Insurance Company Limited (IRDAI Registration No. 139), ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited (IRDAI Registration No. 115)  for general insurance products and Max Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited (IRDAI Registration no. 145) for standalone health insurance products vide composite license number CA0028. All insurance products are underwritten by the respective insurance companies and not by Standard Chartered Bank.

Participation of Standard Chartered Bank’s customers in any insurance scheme is purely voluntary and is not linked to the availment of any other banking products or services from the Bank. The benefits/ features of products wherever mentioned are indicative only. For more details on risk factors and terms and conditions, please read sales brochure carefully before concluding sale. Insurance is the subject matter of solicitation.