Tool
Emergency fund calculator
See how many months of essential expenses your cash covers, and what a 3- or 6-month cushion would take from here. Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.
About these numbers
- Educational estimate — not financial advice. The 3- and 6-month levels are commonly cited conventions, not targets set for you; the right cushion depends on your situation.
- Count only cash you could actually use in an emergency, and only truly essential monthly expenses.
Keep it updated automatically
Forth Arc puts your accounts, liabilities, and goals on one live balance sheet — with the same math engines behind this calculator — free.
Create a free accountWhy months, not dollars?
An emergency fund's job is to replace income long enough to recover from a shock — a job loss, a medical event, a major repair — so it's usually sized in months of essential spending rather than a fixed dollar amount. Common conventions range from 3 to 6 months, with longer cushions cited for variable incomes.
Is my data stored?
No. Nothing you type is sent to or stored on our servers.
Common questions
What is an emergency fund?
Cash set aside to cover essential expenses — housing, food, insurance, minimum debt payments — during an income interruption or unexpected cost, kept somewhere accessible rather than invested.
How many months of coverage do people target?
Three to six months of essential expenses is the most commonly cited convention, with some situations (variable income, single earner) often discussed alongside larger targets. It is a reference range, not a rule — this tool shows your coverage against whatever target you pick.
How is coverage calculated here?
Your cash amount divided by your essential monthly expenses gives months of coverage; the gap to your chosen target is the difference times those monthly expenses.