The 4 Ways to a Better Emergency Fund

Image by lism. via FlickrThe worst mistake people make in their journey to a better financial future is failing to create a fully funded emergency fund. Many people get into credit card trouble because when that inevitable emergency comes they have to go into debt to take care of the problem. They don't have the money to pay off their debts and the cycle repeats till they are over their heads in major debt. An emergency fund is your insurance to staying out of debt.


If you are a fan of Dave Ramsey you know his first "Baby Step" is to save up a $1,000 emergency fund before ever starting to pay off debt. That emergency fund is the number one way to be prepared for what trouble life hands you.


A rainy day fund or emergency fund is a cushion of money that keeps us afloat when times are tough but actually building one is sometimes harder than paying off debt. To get started building the fund you need a plan.


Create a Plan. The rule of thumb for an emergency fund is it must be at least three months worth of expense. So add up your mortgage or rent, utilities, food, health insurance, etc., multiply it by three, and that's your minimum goal for emergency savings. If you spend $3,000 a month, you will want to have at least $9,000 in your emergency fund. Having more than that depends on if you are self-employed or have any other issues that may affect you losing your job or any health issues. Another way to determine the size of the fund is your "sleep well" ratio. If you don't sleep well at night because your worried about a future layoff or other expense issue, maybe raise the amount of the fund till you can sleep well. It's a common indicator of satisfaction and peace.


Make it Automatic. It's hard to save money every month if you are doing manually. You may forget or be distracted by some work or family problem. It's best to make the process automatic. Set up a payrole deduction at work that adds money to you emergency fund automatically. If not at work set up an automatic transfer of money from your checking account to a savings account. It will all be simple and painless and won't be forgotten.


Where is the Right Place to Put it? It would be a good idea to put the money in a place where it could make some interest. But in today's savings environment a good place is hard to come by. The place has to be somewhere that it is completely safe and guaranteed not to lose principle. Today's low interest environment is bad for now but it may be better in the years to come. Accessibility is key for a good emergency fund.


Don't Touch it. The only real reason to access this money is for a true emergency. A true emergency is any event where you where you could not have predicted it's occurrence. It's not to fix that broken washing machine. You know that baby will someday breakdown, it doesn't qualify. An emergency fund is for a dire event not one that you are temporarily uncomfortable.

Credit card delinquency rates at a record 17 year low

Image via WikipediaCredit card users have gotten serious about their debts, this new found responsibility has driven down the credit card delinquency rate to a 17 year low of 0.6%. This according to credit reporting agency TransUnion.

"National credit card delinquency rates have fallen to levels not seen since 1994 as consumers continue to tighten their spending," said Ezra Becker, vice president of research and consulting in TransUnion's financial services business unit.

              Link to TransUnion's Infographic Of State By State Delinquency

The 0.6% delinquency rate, which reflects borrowers 90 or more days past due is down from 0.74% in the prior quarter and 0.92% a year earlier. TransUnion also reported that even though the average credit card debt per borrower rose 0.42%, it still is down 5.1% as compared to one year ago.

Of all the states, Alaska, North Dakota and Iowa showed the lowest delinquency rates. The highest delinquencies were in Nevada, Georgia and Florida.

Why does Florida rank at the lower end of the scale?

Like Nevada, Florida has more of a problem with it's real estate market. Residents have found themselves more devastated by the real estate bubble bursting. With home values rising the highest and in result falling the farthest, many homeowners find themselves either in foreclosure or without a job. This explains how the average household is juggling between the paying of their mortgage or their credit cards. 

TransUnion's explanation for the falling delinquency rate is people are treating their debts more seriously and paying them off more quickly. Also lenders are more selective to who they give credit to.

Still Florida's stagnant real estate problems are a big drag on the local economy.The construction business is as important to Florida as it's tourist business which is also stumbling. Much of the population counts on these businesses for their livelihood, along with the supporting businesses. These statistics are not going to change until we can get people back to buying homes and spending money.

Florida has grown by a constant influx of people who wish to live in our great climate and vacation here. The climate is not broken just our economy. Florida is like the tail on the dog, get the country back to work and Florida will be where they spend their money.

Citi ThankYou Preferred Card $200 Bonus Review Update

The Citi ThankYou Preferred Card is offering 20,000 bonus points after making $700 in purchases within the first 3 months. The 20,000 bonus points is worth $200 in gift cards at top retailers. The card has no annual fee and it comes with 0% APR for 7 months on purchases and balance transfers.

The 20,000 bonus points, redeemable for $200 gift cards, is what caught my attention. You can easily make $700 in transactions the first month and pocket the $200 or use it for your Christmas shopping. As a bonus you get 7 months of 0% APR on balance transfers or purchases.

You can also earn points when you shop, 1 point for every $1 spent for all your purchases. Don't worry about your points expiring; as long as you make one purchase in a 12 month period they will never expire. Also earn 100 points for signing up for paperless statements and 100 points for enrolling in your online account. There is also a an Anniversary Bonus each year up to 3% which is calculated as a percentage of ThankYou Points earned from purchases during that year.

What's great is you can redeem your ThankYou points for gift cards, music, cash, electronics, etc, through the Citi ThankYou network. For a cash reward of $50 you must have 8,000 points.

There are security benefits such as $0 Fraud Liability Protection on unauthorized purchases, identity theft solutions, personal photo on card option, fraud and security protection services, lost or stolen card reporting, emergency cash or card replacement, various internet account services, and many more.

Without doubt The Citi ThankYou Preferred Card has a great $200 bonus to get you started and 7 months 0% intro APR interest. Citi also gives you retail purchase protection, price protection and extended warranty on the things you purchase. And don't forget no annual fee.

If You Can't Sell That Empty Nest, Repurpose It

Image via WikipediaI think a lot about retirement. I have been working full time in the construction business since I graduated college and I look enthusiastically toward retirement. It's still 10 to 15 years away but it's often on my mind. One part of my retirement plan is to downsize on my home. We have a fairly large home because we were raising six kids, now 3 are in college and 2 are on their own. I like the home, I like the space, and the neighborhood. But eventually we will sell just to save the money. Moving to a condo or an apartment rental isn't for me, I would like a small 3 bedroom 2 bath home, something easy to take care. If I sold my home the equity I have would be enough to pay cash on a smaller home.

I believe most people have the same goals as I do. But in todays housing market prices have dropped so low it may pay to wait. In my area the real estate market is terrible. Not many homes are for sale. When I drive through my neighborhood, I would be lucky to see a hand full of for sale signs, people are just not selling now. My neighbor had a for sale sign out for 3 months and the only offers he got were investors looking to steal the home. It's definitely a bad time to sell.

Eventually, I believe prices of homes will begin to rise. It definitely will take years at the rate we are going. So what do people do till the home makes sense to sell?

Many innovative homeowners are reinventing their homes for comfort and to save money. It's going to be a waiting game so why not be a little more comfortable. When all our kids are gone we will have 3 empty bedrooms to repurpose. I can think of a few ideas to try out.

A Home Office. My home office today is in a room barely bigger than a closet. Taking one of the empty bedrooms redecorating with a coat of paint, a few new shelves, and a nice desk would be perfect for dad. It would be a great place to get some work done. Sorting the mail and managing the home finances, or even a hobby or craft. There could be a nice open work surface, generous storage spaces, comfortable seating and ample lighting. I could eliminate the clutter and chaos of a small shared space and create a dedicated office all in one room.

A Sewing or Hobby Room. If mom likes to sew,having a dedicated sewing room will allow you layout your projects in a comfortable place. You won't have to use the kitchen or dining room table anymore. Also this could be a crafts room for the hobbiest in the family. When the grandkids come over this could be a great room to make crafts in. All the hobby equipment could be in one room with a dedicated closet containing all the paraphernalia that goes with it.

A Great TV Room. This would be great for mom or dad to have a special place only for TV viewing. A rectangular room with a nice 42" LCD panel hanging on one wall with two comfortable recliners on the other. Of course satellite or cable hooked up. Watching a nice movie with some popcorn would make a great evening. It would be easy to decorate with a fresh coat of paint and minimum furniture.

The Ultimate Guest Bedroom. Your guests won't have to sleep on the couch anymore. The decorator of the family would have a field day decorating this room for comfort. Guest would be knocking down the door to stay over night here. This is where you can go over budget to make a show room with a comfortable bed with nice bedspread and tons of pillows. Lots of wall decorations, really go all out. You won't have the kids around to mess it up. Make it a fun room.

With all this re-purposing you may decide to never sell your home, it will be so comfortable. Many people as they get older lose a spouse or special someone. Even in my family I have a couple of Aunts who have decided to share expenses. One aunt sold her home and moved in with the other. They share the home expenses. They both are saving money and the bonus is they have each other for company. There are ways to make the home you are in now work for your situation.