5 Emergency Fund Investment Tips For Uncertain Times
By 'How to Stash That Cash' author Chris Kawaja
THE REAL PURPOSE OF AN EMERGENCY FUND IS TO PRESERVE IT, NOT LOSE IT.
Will your emergency fund cover you when that emergency hits?
1. Calculate your emergency fund correctly.
The old rule of thumb was 6 months of spending. That method has a lot of dependences. Instead, talk this through with someone you trust and examine specific nuances such as loss of income, baseline and surprise expenses, income replacement and emotional preparation.
2. AVOID cash accounts (Yes, you read that right).
Savings and money market type accounts don't provide enough of an interest rate to keep up with inflation. Meaning your cash decreases in value!
3. Focus on 'real' returns not the 'nominal' returns.
If you were denied an annual cost of living increase at your work, you would be (rightly) upset. The same should apply to your investments. Your emergency fund needs to preserve purchasing power. So focus on 'real' returns not 'nominal'.
4. Diversify your portfolio.
For best results, consider using a portfolio investment approach that throws the majority of weight towards bonds and a smaller amount in stocks (88/12) in order to capture the growth of the economy with the large security net of bonds.
5. Be disciplined.
When times are bad the vast majority of people panic and sell. It takes courage to sell at the top and buy at the bottom. Use an investing approach that gives you emotional stability when the headlines go crazy and it feels like the world is about to fall off a cliff.
Is there anyone who hasn't worried if their emergency fund will cover them when that emergency hits?
The mission behind 'How to Stash That Cash - The Ultimate Liquidity Portfolio' is to help people preserve their emergency funds so they are covered when that unexpected emergency hits. You shouldn’t have to experience negative returns in your so-called 'savings' accounts —especially during rollercoaster, market crisis periods and uncertain times.
You should be able to preserve your emergency fund. That’s why Chris Kawaja and Shannon Matthiesen, originally created the Ultimate Liquidity Portfolio (or ULP) a simple and conservative investment approach that has preserved purchasing power better than stocks, bonds, savings accounts, and money market accounts over a variety of holding periods. It’s simple, easy to implement (you can do this yourself!), and has decades of data backing it up.
Learn how to stash your cash the better way.
The real purpose of an emergency fund is to preserve it, not lose it.
WHO IS IT FOR?
If you are tired of the low rates offered by banks, you want an investment that grows without the crazy swings of the stock market or have a desire to build a safe emergency savings vehicle, then this book is for you! You'll learn:
✅ GOAL SETTING
Everyone’s emergency cash needs are different. We’ve dedicated an entire chapter to helping you figure out your customized target emergency fund amount.
✅ EDUCATION
Stocks are risky... except when they're in a diversified portfolio... the data and reasons why it's safer to include stocks.
✅ WHY THE ULP
Why the Ultimate Liquidity Portfolio (ULP) performs so well, how banks are bilking you of your money and what to do about it.
✅ SIMPLE SETUP
Detailed instructions on how to get started with the ULP in about 10 minutes and how to take money out when the emergency need hits to avoid negative tax consequences.
✅ PERFORMANCE
Hyperinflation, depressions, and more... How the ULP performs when the world looks really scary or really great.
✅ PHILOSOPHY
The philosophy of the ULP and human behavior: why we choose low correlation, real returns, drawdown resiliency, and liquidity.
Chris Kawaja created the ULP and wrote How To Stash That Cash alongside co-author Shannon Matthiesen. As financial industry veterans who have studied and worked alongside some of the greatest minds in the investment business, they have a unique insight into exactly how everyone should invest and preserve emergency funds at every age. Quite simply, it's the "best liquid strategy they've ever seen."
“This tax efficient strategy is simple, easy to implement, and has performed in markets of all stripes – from full-blown panics to massive economic booms."
In his decades of investing, Chris Kawaja has learned from some of the greatest minds in the business. He studied economics with Paul Krugman at Stanford, did investment research at Goldman Sachs, received an MBA with high distinction from the Harvard Business School, and worked with Ray Dalio at Bridgewater.
The Problem
There is a problem with financial advice. For years, you’ve been told that savings and money market accounts are the perfect place to hold “emergency funds,” the cash you or your family may need in face of an unexpected emergency.
However, what you’re not told is that these funds can actually decrease in value over time because the low interest rates provided by banks fail to keep pace with inflation. The result? Most emergency funds will not cover you when that inevitable emergency hits.
The Experience
Too many people close to Chris have had their retirements and savings destroyed by market crises. So he wanted to build a simple, crisis-resistant portfolio.
He saw advisors getting rich while their clients weren't. Even his smartest friends didn't see how they were getting trapped by decision flaws like loss aversion, ignoring taxes, and the nominal value fallacy.
The Result
With the help of finance industry veteran and co-author Shannon Matthiesen the ULP was the key focus of "How to Stash That Cash - The Ultimate Liquidity Portfolio" - an insightful, original, and timely book that redefines saving in the 21st century.
Insightful, original, and timely, this book redefines saving in the 21st century.
What people are saying about the ULP...
★★★★★
“Chris has written the ultimate playbook for people who want yield, growth, and an alternative to the meager returns banks have been paying you, you need to read this book." — James D, AZ
Order your copy of How To Stash That Cash - The Ultimate Liquidity Portfolio.
You’ll won't look back.
ULP PERFORMANCE CASE STUDY:
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