Emergency Fund Runway Calculator
Estimate how many months cash savings could cover your essential expense gap, including continuing income and a reserve you leave untouched.
Inputs used
How long could my emergency savings cover my expense gap?
Scenario links include your inputs in the URL fragment. Anyone with the link can read them. Use hypothetical amounts when sharing.Adjust the inputs to compare possibilities.
What this means
Runway depends on the monthly gap you enter. Income that stops during a disruption should not be counted as continuing income. A reserve left untouched reduces cash available for the gap.
Free educational illustration only. Results depend on your assumptions and may not fit your circumstances. This tool does not provide individualized advice; do not use it as your sole basis for a financial decision. Read the financial disclosures.
Assumes constant monthly costs and continuing income, no interest, inflation or new savings contributions, and no one-off emergencies. If continuing income covers expenses, no monthly funding gap is reported rather than an infinite runway. The goal months are your scenario, not a recommended reserve. Use accessible cash values and take account of any taxes or penalties before including other assets.
How this calculator works
Available cash is the greater of zero or savings minus the untouched reserve. The monthly gap is the greater of zero or essential monthly expenses minus continuing monthly income. Runway is available cash divided by that gap. The target is the untouched reserve plus the monthly gap multiplied by your chosen goal months.
Assumes constant monthly costs and continuing income, no interest, inflation or new savings contributions, and no one-off emergencies. If continuing income covers expenses, no monthly funding gap is reported rather than an infinite runway. The goal months are your scenario, not a recommended reserve. Use accessible cash values and take account of any taxes or penalties before including other assets.
Model reviewed October 17, 2026. General background: CFPB: building an emergency fund. The linked organization does not endorse this calculator.
Worked example
With $15,000 in savings, $3,000 of essential monthly expenses, no continuing income and no untouched reserve, the estimated runway is 5.0 months.
Load this example ↗Common questions
What if income covers my essential expenses?
The model shows no monthly funding gap. It does not assume that savings are unnecessary or that one-off emergencies are covered.
Does the chosen goal prescribe how much I need?
No. Change the goal months to explore your own assumptions; the calculator does not determine a suitable emergency reserve.