Emergency preparedness

Americans put away far too little for retirement. But many are unprepared for an unforeseen event -- car repair, doctor visit, tax bill. Guess the amount one-third of Americans have in a savings account for emergencies... zero. If that sounds like an anomaly consider that another third have less than $1000. Where do you stand? Time to make a plan. A simple rule of thumb is that you need an amount equal to at least 6 months of your normal expenses in an emergency fund. Get started before it's too late.