23/06/2023
Emergency Cash Reserve is your RISK RETENTION plan.
An investor asked where to invest at this time?
Before I answered that question, I asked how long his cash in hand would cover his expenses.
He did not expect my question.
After explaining the concept, he said no one had told him about it.
What are the potential problems of not having a cash reserve?
Anything can happen at anytime that requires us to cover expenses not on our list.
When that happens and if we do not have the cash in hand, we will have to borrow from others.
Most people will sell their investment even at a loss.
Besides realising investment losses, our investment proceeds may not reach us in time to cover urgent expenses.
What is an Emergency Cash Reserve?
An cash reserve for unplanned large expenses, such as medical bills, car repairs, income loss etc.
How much should you keep as a reserve?
General rule of thumb is 6 months of normal monthly living expenses or 12 months of bare-bones monthly living expenses, whichever is higher.
What if your situation differs from the rule of thumb?
The rule of thumb is based on a normal economic environment where most people can regain employment within 6 months.
But your situation might differ and the amount might not be enough or too much for you.
Cash is not a growth asset. So too much cash may reduce your future purchasing power and portfolio's return.
How to keep sufficient emergency funds without affecting portfolio growth?
Ask yourself these questions:
What can happen to you that requires additional cash to cover unplanned expenses?
How much do you need for each identified event?
What can you do about the events or the consequences?
Can you eliminate the occurrence or reduce the frequency or the impact of events?
Can you transfer the expenses to a third party or insurer?
What consequences cannot be eliminated nor transferred?
A cash reserve is part of your risk management plan to prepare yourself for unplanned expenses that CANNOT be avoided nor transferred.
In other words, your Emergency Cash Reserve is your RISK RETENTION plan.
Therefore, it should not be done in isolation, but according to your situation as a whole.