FAQs  |  Help  |  About Us
  • My Credit
  • Karma Offers
  • Tools & Calculators
  • Credit Cards
  • Compare Rates
  • News & Advice
  • Blog

Credit Karma Blog

Planning Ahead For Financial Emergencies

Written by Credit Karma February 16th, 2009 at 3:11 PM CST 2 comments

Are you prepared to handle a surprise disability or a serious illness, the loss of your job, a natural disaster, legal problems or some other financial industry? There are too many people out there that simply are not preparing themselves for the unexpected expenses that may be incurred over time, even those that are as minor as a home or vehicle repair. By planning ahead for financial emergencies you can significantly minimize the amount of stress that normally occurs when these types of emergencies rear their ugly heads.

There are a lot of different ways that you can plan ahead for financial emergencies. Many of these tactics are small and do not take a lot of time or money, but they have a grand impact on your financial readiness, should an emergency ever occur that requires you to tap into savings or other sources of financing.

>> One of the best defenses that you can possibly mount against emergencies is to acquire adequate insurance. You should take the time to check and see if you have the right amount of insurance for Life, Property, Disability and Long Term Care insurance for some much needed peace of mind.

>> You should take the time to prepare an emergency budget so that you can determine the minimum amount of income and the minimum amount of expenses that you would need should a financial crisis occur.

>> You should be aware of potential loan sources, or establish potential loan sources like personal lines of credit or home equity loans so that you can get the emergency funds that you need, when you need them, without worrying about whether or not you will be approved when there is no time to waste.

>> You should put together an emergency savings account fund, so that you always have easy access to savings account money that will help you get through an emergency when there is no other source for lending or financial aid. The more you have in savings, the more readily you will be able to weather the storm when a financial emergency occurs.

>> You should remember that good times do not last forever, and neither do bad times. By creating solid investments and building up your investment portfolio you can significantly reduce the need for a much larger emergency fund in the long run. By varying what different protections you have, you can create a much stronger protection plan, should a financial emergency ever occur.

>> You should take the time to completely and fully plan out your estate. This way, if you should happen to pass away unexpectedly the remainder of your family will remain financially secure even when they cannot count on your income to support them. A fully thought out financial estate plan should include where your assets should go, and should also include adequate life insurance so that your mortgage and other bills and debts can be paid without requiring your loved ones to struggle any harder than they have to in your absence.

Photo Credits: 1

Topic:
Career, Financial Emergencies, Loans, Personal Finance

Related Articles
  • Planning an Emergency Fund
  • Ten Ways to Handle Financial Emergencies
  • Are You Financially Prepared for Disaster?
  • Begin Saving for Your Retirement
  • Financial Emergencies Don’t Need To Panic Your Credit Score
USER COMMENTS

Being prepared is the best step we can take to avoid a financial emergency. Unfortunately, sometimes all the preparations we make may not be enough.

I read some stats that showed that bankruptcy is usually caused by a sudden loss — say due to a job, or a long illness (loss of health), or a divorce. In some ways we can insure against such a loss, in some others, we may not be able to.

But certainly, it’s better to be prepared than not!

by The Digerati Life - February 19th, 2009 at 2:56 PM CST

Another thing I add that you should do is that you have to be careful about your credit and establish a good credit history and have a good fico score. Because on the times like this which is credit crunch, having a good credit is a great asset. In case you want to take an emergency loan or something or you can lower you rates on so many things like your car loan and mortgage.

by Fico Score - March 2nd, 2009 at 1:32 PM CST
ENTER YOUR COMMENT




Previous EntryNext Entry

Credit Karma provides FREE credit score access and educational content with no hidden cost or obligations.

Join Credit Karma

Subscribe to RSS Feed

Compare & Save Money

  • Credit Card Reviews
  • Compare Deposit Rates
  • Compare Mortgage Rates
  • Compare Home Equity Rates

Blog Search & Categories


  • Announcements (3)
  • Automobile (7)
  • Banking (21)
  • Bankruptcy (5)
  • Budgeting (28)
  • Car (8)
  • Career (5)
  • College Students and Money (10)
  • Credit (65)
  • Credit Cards (74)
  • Credit Karma (142)
  • Credit Report (39)
  • Credit Scores (71)
  • Credit Union (2)
  • Debt (48)
  • Economy (71)
  • Emergency Funds (5)
  • Financial Emergencies (7)
  • Functionality (7)
  • Guest Blogger (1)
  • Housing (49)
  • In the News (52)
  • Insurance (1)
  • Interest Rates (23)
  • Investment (6)
  • Kids and Money (4)
  • Loans (46)
  • Marriage (1)
  • Mortgage (35)
  • Personal Finance (130)
  • Portfolio (4)
  • Q&A (3)
  • Recession (16)
  • Retirement (2)
  • Reviews (25)
  • Roundup (34)
  • Shopping (15)
  • Stock Market (10)
  • Taxes (2)
  • Unemployment (3)
  • Women and Finance (2)

Most Popular in February, 2009

  • How to Dispute Items on Your Credit Report
  • New $8,000 Credit for 1st Time Homebuyers
  • Credit Karma Roundup - The Super Massive Link Love Edition
  • Credit Karma Roundup - All You Need is Love (and Money!)
  • Planning Ahead For Financial Emergencies
  • Thank You for the Continued Support
  • Its Tax Time!!
  • Weekly Mortgage Roundup Feb. 24
  • $7,500 Tax Credit for 1st Time Homebuyers
  • Obama’s $3.6 Trillion Budget

Most Popular All Time

  • What is a Good Credit Score?
  • Homebuilders Offering Big Discounts on Loans
  • How Often Does Your Credit Score Change?
  • Bad News for the Condo Market
  • moneyStrands Review
  • Public Savings Bank Secured Visa Review
  • Begin Saving for Your Retirement
  • Chase Sapphire Card Review: A Credit Card For The High Roller In You
  • Weekly Mortgage Roundup June 5, 2009
  • How A Credit Card Limit Is Determined

Credit Karma Blogroll

  • Credit Card Forum Blog
  • Credit Matters Blog
  • Five Cent Nickel
  • Lazy Man and Money
  • My Money Blog
  • Netbanker
  • Prosper Blog
  • Taking Charge
  • Wisebread
  • About Us |
  • Terms of Use |
  • FAQ |
  • Privacy Policy |
  • Press |
  • Glossary
Copyright © 2007-2009 Credit Karma™, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Patent Pending.
Click to verify BBB accreditation and to see a BBB report.
  • Free Credit Resources:
  • Credit Report |
  • Credit Scores |
  • Credit Check |
  • Credit Rating
  • Credit Card Resources:
  • Balance Transfer Credit Cards |
  • Business Credit Cards |
  • Student Credit Cards |
  • Credit Cards for Bad Credit