How big should my emergency fund be?
Size a cushion from your actual essential spending, and see how many months you have now.
Try this with your agent- What your agent needs
- Spending history and which accounts hold your cushion.
- What you get back
- A target based on your essentials, the months covered today, and a goal to track it.
- When to use it
- A focused review when this question comes up.
Try it with your finances.
Copy the prompt into the AI agent you use with Candor. It works from your Candor records and asks for anything it's missing. New to Candor? Connect your agent first.
Help me decide how big my emergency fund should be. Use my spending in Candor to work out what essentials cost each month, apart from things I could pause. Ask how steady my income is and who depends on it. Suggest a target in months and dollars, show how many months my current cushion covers, and save it as a goal measured in months of spending covered so Candor keeps it current.
Nothing runs until you send the prompt to your agent.
Size the cushion from your essentials
A rule of thumb like three to six months is a starting point. The right size depends on what your essentials cost, how steady your income is, and who depends on it. Candor shows what you spend, so your agent can work out the essentials and track the cushion as months covered.
Check the answer
- Check what counts as essential. Rent, insurance, and minimum payments do; most other spending can pause.
- Steadier income needs a smaller cushion than freelance or commission pay. Say which yours is.
Choose a next step
Save the target as a goal measured in months covered, so Candor keeps it current as spending changes.
Keep exploring.
How long would my savings last?
Months of runway if your income stopped or dropped, from what you actually spend.
One-time reviewWhere I standCould we handle a setback?
Explore how your whole financial picture would hold up to a setback.
One-time reviewCash and debtWhat should I do with the cash I have?
Weigh a cash buffer, debt payments, and longer-term saving together.
One-time reviewAsk it with your own numbers.
Set up Candor, then send this to the agent you already use. It answers from your real records and keeps the plan for next time.