Posts Tagged With: emergency fund

FINANCIAL EMERGENCY KIT

Posted on February 18, 2023 by Melissa Hart

In case of a natural disaster or a cyber-attack, a financial emergency kit allows you to keep running your life. These documents would prepare you for the what-ifs of life. Bottom of Form

The kit starts with knowing where your vital paperwork is stored, and where are copies kept. Two suggested storage methods are: (1) a portable, fireproof, waterproof safe, and (2) digital storage with an electronic record of account numbers and sensitive information. This information can then be accessed on your phone. Also backup your data on both an external hard drive and on a cloud service.

The important documents that you should have in both a physical and digital format are:

  • Insurance policies, insurance contact information; prescriptions, medical records
  • Birth and marriage certificates; passports; driver’s license; Social Security cards
  • Mortgage information; car registration
  • Recent tax returns; employment information
  • Wills and deeds; stocks, bonds and other negotiable certificates
  • Bank, savings. Investment, and retirement account numbers
  • Pet medical records; pet identification tags
  • Recent utility bill, school registration to prove your legal place of residence

In addition to your financial documents, also plan to have these items in your emergency kit:

  1. Water; non-perishable food; first aid kit; multi-purpose tool
  2. Flashlight; battery-powered radio; extra batteries; cellphone, charger
  3. Medications, medical items; sanitation, personal hygiene items
  4. Extra cash; contact information of family and friends
  5. Emergency blankets; maps of the area

Consider a hand-crank flashlight and radio to be able to use and charge when there’s no power.

To connect with family and others in emergency times, text instead of calling to avoid network congestion.  Use apps, social media when cell networks are overloaded.  Update your voicemail message to tell your location and status.

Be prepared with these simple things that require minimal money and a small-time investment.

For additional information on financial emergency kits, go to:

16 Items To Pack in Your Financial Emergency Kit

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students identify situations in which this type of emergency kit would be appropriate.
  • Have students create a visual proposal (poster or slide presentation) to communicate the elements of an emergency kit.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What are reasons people might give for not preparing an emergency kit?
  2. Describe methods that might be used to store financial documents for emergency situations.
Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Financial Planning | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Where to Keep Your Emergency Fund

Posted on August 3, 2019 by Melissa Hart

While having an emergency fund is vital, putting this money in a low-yield checking account is not recommended. A certificate of deposit (CD) also may not be appropriate since your funds may be locked-up when the money is needed. For safe storage of your funds along with quick access and a better return, consider these alternatives:

  • High-yield savings account. These financial products are offered by banks to attract new savers. These accounts have high liquidity and are covered by federal deposit insurance; although, interest earned is taxable. Most high-yield savings accounts are available through online banks. Also be aware of fees, minimum balances, or a required minimum length of investment.
  • Money market fund. Usually offered by investment companies, these financial products are similar to high-yield savings accounts but do not have federal deposit insurance. However, they are protected by Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) insurance, usually covering amounts up to $1 million for investors.
  • Treasury bills and bonds. These debt instruments of the U.S. Treasury have a maturity ranging from 90 days to 30 years. While considered very safe, an investor may lose money if sold before it matures.
  • Ultra-short term bonds. For a higher yield with a bit more risk, consider ultra-short term bond exchange-traded funds (bond ETFs).  These funds invest in corporate bonds, which are not guaranteed.  However, it is possible to find funds that invest only in highly-rated bonds.

In each situation, be sure to consider the tax implications of earnings from these savings and investment products.

For additional information on emergency funds, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students create a list of unexpected situations that might require accessing money from a person’s emergency fund.
  • Have students talk to others to determine where they keep money for emergencies.

Discussion Questions 

  1. What factors might a person consider when selecting a savings instrument for storing money for emergencies?
  2. Describe actions a person might take to have more funds available for an emergency fund?
Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Financial Planning, Savings | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Motivation for Saving

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Melissa Hart

While you might think that saving for college, retirement, or buying home are the reasons Americans save, according to a recent survey, travel was reported as the top priority.  In a study of 2,500 adult Americans representing varied demographic, geographic, economic, and social groups, 45 percent of respondents set aside money for traveling.  This was especially true among younger respondents, who prefer travel experiences over savings to buy a home.

After travel, the main priorities for saving by Americans are:

  • for an emergency fund (37 percent)
  • for retirement (30 percent)
  • to buy a house (21 percent)
  • to buy a car, truck or motorcycle (20 percent)

For additional information on saving priorities, check out these two resources:

Article #1

Article #2

Teaching Suggestions

  • Have students conduct a survey among people they know to determine the main reasons for saving.
  • Have students talk to others to obtain ideas for building a person’s savings account.

 Discussion Questions 

  1. What do you believe are reasons people prefer saving for travel over other financial goals?
  2. Describe other actions that might be taken to motivate people to build their savings?
Categories: Chapter 2, Chapter 4, Financing a Home, Savings | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

10 Reasons You Will Never Get Out of Debt

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Melissa Hart

“Do you feel as if you’ll be in debt forever?  You’re not alone.”

According to a CreditCards.com survey, 13 percent of Americans say they’ll never pay off all their loans, and another 8 percent say they won’t pay off what they owe until they’re 71 years old.  While the results of the survey are discouraging, this Kiplinger article describes the following 10 reasons people can’t get out of debt and also provides suggestions for getting out of debt.

  1. You don’t know how much you owe.
  2. You pay only the minimum.
  3. Your mortgage is too big.
  4. You took out too many student loans.
  5. You can’t say no to your kids.
  6. You don’t have money for emergencies.
  7. You feel a sense of entitlement.
  8. Your car loan is too long.
  9. You rack up late fees.
  10. Your interest rates are too high.

For more information, click here.

Teaching Suggestions

You may want to use the information in this blog post and the original article to

  • Explain how people get in trouble when they make financial decisions without considering the consequences.
  • Go into more detail about how each of the 10 reasons described in this article affect an individual’s financial future.

Discussion Questions

  1. How do you plan to balance your objective of creating an enjoyable and entertaining life with the objective of building a secure financial future?
  2. Based on the 10 reasons in this article, what steps can you take to improve your financial planning for the future.
Categories: Chapter 1, Chapter_11, Debt, Investments, Opportunity Costs, Time Value of Money | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

The Seven Baby Steps (Dave Ramsey)

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Melissa Hart

“Get out of debt the same way you learned to walk–one step at a time.”

This article describes Dave Ramsey’s seven steps that anyone can take to get out of debt and begin to manage their personal finances.  These seven basic principles have been taught by Mr. Ramsey via radio, books, Financial Peace University, live events, and online.  Listed below are the seven steps discussed in this article.  Note:  You can get more information about each step by clicking on the “Learn More” tab.

  1. Begin by creating a $1,000 emergency fund.
  2. Pay off all debt using the debt snowball .
  3. Save 3 to 6 months of expenses in a savings account.
  4. Invest 15 percent of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement accounts.
  5. Create a college funding plan for your children.
  6. Pay off your home mortgage early.
  7. Build wealth and give.

For more information, click here. 

Teaching Suggestions

You may want to use the information in this blog post and the original article to

  • Ask students visit the Dave Ramsey website.
  • Discuss some or all of the seven baby steps described in this article. Reminder:  Students can get more information by clicking on the “Learn More” tab.

Discussion Questions

  1. How can the seven baby steps help you manage your personal finances?
  2. Do the steps in this article make you want to change your priorities and what’s important in your life? Justify your answer.
Categories: Budget, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 5, Debt, Financial Planning, Home Buying, Savings | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

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