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re: Best strategy for emergency fund savings?

Posted on 4/30/15 at 5:07 pm to
Posted by kennypowers816
New Orleans
Member since Jan 2010
2446 posts
Posted on 4/30/15 at 5:07 pm to
quote:

Sure you can withdraw the principal, but you only get 60 days to replace it and then you've wasted that opportunity.


The comment is directed towards people who haven't already maxed out their Roth. They would have wasted that opportunity already. No one ever suggested to someone who already fully funds his Roth to start just calling that his emergency fund and use a taxable account for retirement.

quote:

In a true emergency I want access to the money that day too.


Why? Do you not have a credit card? Please tell me a couple of situations where you would absolutely require $10k in cash, in your hand, in less than 24 hours.

quote:

Getting it out of a Roth would probably take at least a week or so.

Probably so. But any major expenses that I would have in that week would go on my credit card and be paid off the next month anyway.

The idea of an emergency fund isn't saying you shouldn't have an extra $1k or $2k in your checking account for some quick cash when an unexpected expense arises. An emergency fund is for when something very bad happens... ie a major accident or losing your job or something where expenses are inevitable and income is lost and/or delayed.
Posted by TigerDeBaiter
Member since Dec 2010
10275 posts
Posted on 4/30/15 at 5:44 pm to
quote:

The comment is directed towards people who haven't already maxed out their Roth. They would have wasted that opportunity already. No one ever suggested to someone who already fully funds his Roth to start just calling that his emergency fund and use a taxable account for retirement.


Agreed. And I think emergency fund should be priority #1 personally. Get there, then fund your Roth. It's just not a good habit to mix these goals up IMO, I never want to withdraw contributions. I get your logic that it's still wasted if it's never funded to begin with, but I just wouldn't reccomend the strategy.

Of course I have a credit card. And I'd likely use it for any emergency and then pay it off just to get the points like I do for 99% of all purchases, but there's something to be said of having truly liquid same day cash as well. Again, just my opinion.
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