PP cash as emergency fund

[sk55]

hi guys,

is it okay to count the cash portion as part of 6 month emergency fund?

thanks

[KevinW]

I do. I think this is one of these "do whatever makes you comfortable" issues, so either choice is valid.

[l82start]

i count emergency funds as part of my cash as well, i don't know if i would call it ideal, what is "ideal" probably varies with circumstances.
but with a small portfolio not counting it that way would have left me with a significant portion of my total in cash..

[Lone Wolf]

I think that this is just fine (and probably the most convenient thing to do.)  Allowing your cash portion to perform this "double duty" is IMO yet another attractive feature of the portfolio.

The "emergency fund" is a good financial practice and it's nice to use a portfolio that has this built right in.

[hoost]

I do also.  I'm preparing to transfer our emergency fund into a Treasury Money Market Fund with checkwriting privileges, probably FDLXX.  I would say just make sure you can get to it fast if you need it, and keep it in the taxable part of the portfolio so you don't have to pay penalties, or wait a week to rearrange holdings if you need it.  I think one of the points of the 25% cash is to serve as an emergency fund of sorts.

[Tortoise]

I think that this is just fine (and probably the most convenient thing to do.)  Allowing your cash portion to perform this "double duty" is IMO yet another attractive feature of the portfolio.

The "emergency fund" is a good financial practice and it's nice to use a portfolio that has this built right in.

Absolutely. And the fact that you can spread a single PermPort across taxable and tax-advantaged accounts makes it even easier to consider your emergency cash (presumably in a taxable account) part of the portfolio. It's what I do.

I'm also saving up for a down-payment on a home, and I have cash set aside for new cars to replace our current ones when they die, so I count all of that as part of my PermPort's cash allocation. I suppose when I eventually buy that home and the new car(s), I'll be selling some of my stocks, bonds, and gold to replenish the 25% cash allocation.

[Ad Orientem]

I concur with the previous answers with one caveat. Your PP must be large enough that the cash portion is able to provide you with 12 months of minimal living expenses. Otherwise I would build your emergency reserve first and then go into a PP. You can meld your emergency fund into the PP once the PP has gotten big enough to ensure you will have your EF in the cash portion.

[Bean]

Just used my cash portion to make an emergency vehicle purchase after my '97 F150 died.  Feels good not having to take out a loan. 

[smurff]

Bean, now you get to rebalance, and make cash contributions to build your cash balance again. 

[Bean]

Bean, now you get to rebalance, and make cash contributions to build your cash balance again. 

My new contributions always go to cash, since I have the cash portion serving double duty as an emergency fund.  It did put me at a rebalancing band though for cash, but I am going to let the monthly contributions catch me up instead of inducing a taxable event.