Surviving The Perfect Storm

SURVIVING THE PERFECT STORM ARE AMERICAN INVESTORS SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY? The rainy day fund (aka the "emergency fund") should be the foundation of every person's savings. The goal is to have enough cash stashed away to support your family or yourself when the floods of life come-because they will come. But how many people actually have this safety net? A recent Gallup poll examined the rainy day fund landscape to see how many American investors* are prepared, and for how long. THE RAINY DAY LANDSCAPE Who Has One? Which Reasons To Save Ave Top Priority? The following are various reasons why investors save money, ranked by priority. 41% 24% 11% 6% 3% 11% 81% of American investors say they have some kind of emergency fund, in case they find themselves without any income. RETIREMENT EMERGENCY CASH EDUCATION MAJOR PURCHASE VACATION OTHER DON'T KNOW HOW LONG WILL THE RAINY DAY FUND LAST? 5% 21% 25% 18% 30% 1% LESS THAN I MONTH UP TO 3 MONTHS UP TO 6 MONTHS UP TO A YEAR DON'T KNOW LONGER THAN A YEAR WHERE IS THE MONEY HELD? Rainy day funds should be easily accessible. Here is where American investors keep their emergency funds. SHORT-TERM CDS/MONEY MARKET STOCKS OR BONDS CHECKING ACCOUNT DON'T KNOW SAVINGS ACCOUNT OTHER 42% 20% 15% 13% 5% 5% ARE YOU PREPARED FOR A RAINY DAY? HOW LONG WILL YOU SURVIVE WHEN THE PERFECT STORM HITS? Survey Methods: The survey was conducted from June 30-July 1I, 2012, and the answers consist of a random sample of 1,020 United States adults with investable assets of $10,00o or more. *The American investor is someone with $10,000 or more of investable assets. Around 40% of American adults meet this criterion. mint.com Source: The Wells Fargo/Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism Index