Where To Keep Emergency Fund After Rate Cuts

The costliest mistake: parking cash where you can’t reach it

Here’s the costliest mistake I’m seeing right now: people chasing yield after this year’s rate cuts and parking emergency cash in places they can’t actually reach. It looks smart on paper. Then the promo ends, the APY sinks, or there’s a lockup/transfer delay, and, bam, you’re paying overdraft, missing rent, or swiping a 20%+ APR credit card to patch the gap. I learned that lesson the ugly way in ’08 when my “safe” CD had a six‑month lock just as my furnace died. Heat or penalty? I picked heat and paid through the nose.

My rule of thumb is boring but undefeated: emergency money must be liquid first, safe second, and yield third. In that order. I don’t care how slick the teaser rate is. Earlier this year a bunch of apps dangled around 5% APY banners, then reset to the bank’s “standard” rate that looked a lot like 0.01%-0.25% once the 3-6 month window closed. The fine print isn’t fun reading, but it’s cheaper than an overdraft.

Why am I so blunt about this? Because the math is brutal. The Federal Reserve’s G.19 data shows the average APR on credit card accounts assessed interest was roughly 22% in 2024. One unexpected bill and you’re financing an emergency at mid‑20s rates while your “high-yield” cash is stuck earning a teaser that just expired. On top of that, the CFPB reported banks collected around $9 billion in overdraft/NSF fees in 2022. Even if you avoid a fee, ACH pulls can still take 1-3 business days, which is exactly when Murphy’s Law likes to show up.

Quick context on the market we’re sitting in right now: after multiple cuts this year, yield tables are noisy. Promotions are everywhere. A lot of the headline APYs depend on minimums, direct deposit hoops, or balance tiers that quietly cap what you actually earn. Some promo ladders even drop in steps, month 1-3 one rate, month 4-6 another, and then a floor that’s an inch off zero. Call me cautious, but I’ve been doing this long enough to know the “gotchas” usually live between the bullets.

Here’s what you’ll get from this section of the guide, and I’ll keep it practical. How to spot products that look liquid but aren’t, how to sort clean emergency-fund buckets from promo traps, and where to keep cash after the rate cuts without playing musical chairs every quarter. We’ll also compare a few setups I use myself (I mentioned one later that keeps transfers same‑day) and the tradeoffs that come with each.

For now, anchor on these non‑negotiables before you move a dollar:

• Liquidity first. No early withdrawal penalties. No 30‑day gates. No settlement delays that strand your cash. If it takes more than a day or two, it’s not emergency money.
• Safety second. Stick to FDIC/NCUA‑insured accounts for the emergency layer. Brokerage cash sweeps can be fine, but check where it actually sits.
• Yield third. A few basis points won’t beat a $34 overdraft or a month on a 22% APR card. Chasing yield is optional; paying penalties is not.
• Watch the teaser. Many 3-6 month promos reset to tiny “standard” rates. Verify the post‑promo APY and any balance tiers in writing.
• Know the clock. Confirm transfer cut‑off times and weekend/holiday rules. A Friday 5:05pm request that lands Tuesday is…not helpful.

Bottom line: The goal of an emergency fund isn’t maximizing yield; it’s minimizing regret. After rate cuts, the temptation to chase is real. Keep access front and center, and you won’t have to learn the hard way, like I did with a dead furnace and a locked CD.

Your 3-bucket emergency setup that actually works

Rates are slipping this year, and the where-to-keep-emergency-fund-after-rate-cuts question is popping up in every client call. The fix is boring, which is why it works. You want instant cash for the first hit, near‑cash for a longer hiccup, and an optional buffer that pays a bit more if you can tolerate some friction. No heroics.

1. Bucket 1, Immediate (1-2 months): Keep one to two months of core expenses split between your checking and a linked high‑yield savings for same‑day availability. I like 2-3 weeks in checking (to avoid overdrafts), the rest in savings you can pull from instantly or with instant transfer. And keep it inside FDIC/NCUA insurance caps, $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank/credit union, per ownership category (FDIC/NCUA). This bucket is about certainty, not squeezing out an extra 0.10%.

2. Bucket 2, Near‑cash (1-3 months): Treasury bills or a government money market fund. Bills settle T+1 and are backed by the U.S. government. Government MMFs are required under SEC Rule 2a‑7 to hold at least 99.5% in cash, U.S. government securities, or repos, with ≥10% daily and ≥30% weekly liquid assets. Expense ratios are often in the 0.10%-0.40% range, which matters more as yields drift down. You’re trading a tiny bit of immediacy for steadier yield and strong liquidity that behaves when you actually need it. If you’re worried about timing, pair this with your bank’s transfer cutoff, same‑day wires beat ACH when the furnace dies on a Friday at 5:05pm.

3. Bucket 3, Optional buffer (3+ months): Short CDs (6-12 months) or I Bonds, if you can handle the handcuffs. Typical bank CD early‑withdrawal penalties run ~3 months of interest on a 12‑month CD (check your bank’s disclosure), which is livable if you size this right. I Bonds have hard rules: $10,000 per person per calendar year via TreasuryDirect (plus up to $5,000 paper with a tax refund), a 12‑month lockup, and if you cash out before five years you forfeit the last three months of interest. Great inflation hedge, but not your first responder.

How much in each? That depends on your life. W‑2 with a stable employer and no dependents, three to four months total usually feels fine (heavier in Buckets 1-2). Variable income, commission, or self‑employed, think six to nine months total, with a fatter Bucket 2 and a real Bucket 3. And if your job is tied to a single client or a cyclical industry, add another month or two; you’ll sleep better. I do.

Quarterly self‑audit: Put a 15‑minute calendar repeat. Rebalance as rates shift and life changes, new baby, new mortgage, new job risk. Trim Bucket 1 if you’re consistently overfunded; refill it after a hit. As yields fall after 2025 cuts, shift marginal dollars from checking into the government MMF or T‑bills to keep a reasonable blended rate without losing access.

One last practical note I keep repeating because it saves headaches: verify your bank’s instant transfer limits, wire cutoff times, and weekend rules in writing. Government MMF shares are typically T+0 for trades inside a brokerage but still need a bank transfer if you’re paying a contractor. The structure works; the logistics make it stress‑proof.

What’s working now: HYSA, T‑Bills, and government money markets

After the 2025 cuts, yields have floated down from last year’s peaks, but not in a cliff‑drop. The spread between the best online savings accounts and short Treasuries/money funds has tightened to the point where the winner isn’t obvious from headline APY. My take? Pick based on access, tax, and your own tolerance for clicking a few extra buttons. Chasing the last 0.05% while you’re juggling a contractor payment on Friday afternoon, been there, usually isn’t worth the blood pressure spike.

High‑yield savings accounts (HYSAs)

• Instant liquidity: Same‑day internal transfers, and many pay interest daily. For Bucket 1 cash (true emergencies), that immediacy still matters.
• Insurance: FDIC/NCUA coverage up to $250,000 per depositor, per institution, per ownership category. If you need more coverage, split across banks or use different titling (individual, joint, trust) where appropriate.
• Rates: Top‑tier online accounts are close enough to T‑bills/government MMFs that the gap is often a few basis points either way. Will that swing month to month? Yes. Should it drive your entire setup? Probably not.

T‑Bills (4-26 weeks)

• State‑tax edge: Treasury interest is exempt from state and local income tax. If you’re in a 9% state bracket, a 4.5% T‑bill has a state‑tax‑equivalent of roughly 4.9% vs. a taxable bank account. On $100,000, that’s about $405 in state tax avoided per year at 4.5%, not nothing.
• Easy to ladder: Inside a brokerage, set a 4‑, 8‑, 13‑, and 26‑week ladder and let maturities roll. Auctions are frequent (13‑ and 26‑week typically Monday; 4‑ and 8‑week typically Thursday), but buying on the secondary market is fine too. I do both, depends on timing.
• Settlement and access: Proceeds hit your core/buying power at maturity with no NAV fluctuation. If you need cash same day for an external bill, you still have to move it to your bank, just remember those wire/ACH cutoffs we talked about.

Government money market funds (gov MMFs)

• What they hold: Primarily U.S. T‑Bills, agency debt, and repos collateralized by U.S. government/agency securities, i.e., conservative by design.
• They track short rates: The 7‑day SEC yield moves with bills, lagging a bit as the portfolio turns over. In practice, when the Fed trims, these funds ratchet down over a few weeks, not overnight.
• T+0 trading inside brokerages: Buy/sell during market hours and the cash is usually available the same day for trades. Paying your roofer from a bank account? You’ll still need an ACH/wire hop.

Brokerage sweeps vs. named MMFs

• Sweeps vary a lot: The default “cash sweep” at big brokers can trail a named government MMF by a few tenths of a percent. Annoying? Yes. Fixable? Also yes.
• Manual parking: Consider moving idle cash into a specific government MMF in the same account. You keep control of when it moves, and you usually get a better yield without taking added credit risk.

How I decide right now: Bucket 1 sits in a HYSA for instant spend. Bucket 2 lives in a rolling 4-13 week T‑bill ladder. Bucket 3 parks in a government MMF. If the HYSA is within ~0.10-0.20% of my MMF after taxes, I favor the HYSA for convenience. If I’m in a high‑tax state, T‑bills usually win on a tax‑equivalent basis.

One more thing people ask: auction vs. secondary, does it matter? Short answer: not really for bills. The all‑in yield you see on the order ticket is what matters. If you like set‑and‑forget, put in non‑competitive orders at auction and auto‑roll. If you like precision timing, say a maturity the day before payroll hits, grab a secondary bill that lines up. It’s not fancy; it’s just clean execution.

Where people get tripped up: CDs, I Bonds, and promo bait

These tools can be great, if you know the quirks. And with rates drifting lower this year (T‑bill yields that started near ~5% earlier this year are now sitting in the mid‑4s in September), the penalty math and timing matter a lot more than last year. I’m literally doing the napkin math before I click “open.”

CDs: the penalty can erase your yield

• Early withdrawal penalties are real. Typical banks charge 3 months of interest for CDs ≤12 months and 6 months for 12-36 months; long CDs can run 12 months of interest if you break them (especially credit unions). Read the disclosure, not the ad.
• Quick example: a 12‑month CD at 4.50% APY, broken after 6 months, with a 6‑month interest penalty = you keep roughly zero interest. Your effective yield rounds down toward 0% after tax. Ouch.
• Favor short maturities (3-12 months) and reasonable penalties. I want the ability to exit if the HYSA I keep mentioning later beats it after taxes.
• Watch call features and brokered CDs. With brokered CDs, you can’t “break” them, you must sell in the market, which can be below par if rates pop. Small price move, big headache.

I Bonds: great for Bucket 3, not Bucket 1

• Rates reset every May and November based on CPI‑U; there’s a fixed rate (you keep it for the life of the bond) and a variable rate. Mechanics are fine, but the lock is the real constraint.
• 12‑month lock, no exceptions. If you redeem within 5 years, you forfeit the last 3 months of interest. For emergency cash, that’s a non‑starter; for longer‑horizon cash (Bucket 3), it can work well.
• Purchase limits: $10,000 per person per year electronically, plus up to $5,000 with a tax refund as paper. State tax‑free; federal tax deferred until redemption. I’ll circle back to the tax angle below even though we haven’t dug in yet.
• Timing note: if you plan to cash after 12-15 months, your “3‑month interest penalty” can wipe out around 25% of your year‑one interest. I pencil that in before buying.

Promotional HYSAs: great headline, then a cliff

• Promos that say “5.xx% for 3 months” sound fantastic when the baseline is sliding, but check the ongoing rate policy. Some drop to a base rate near 0.40-1.50% after the promo window.
• Check minimums and caps: e.g., 5.00% on the first $25k, then 1.00% above that. If you hold $150k, your blended APY can be a lot lower than the billboard implies.
• Ask: how quickly do they pass through Fed moves? Some banks lag on the way down (good for you), but they also lagged on the way up last year (less good). I prefer shops that publish how they adjust.

Fintech wallets: who actually holds your cash?

• Custody: Is the money swept to partner banks or sitting at a broker? Which entity is on your statement?
• Protection: FDIC insurance is up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category. SIPC is up to $500,000 per customer (cash sub‑limit $250,000) for brokerage failure, not market losses. If a fintech spreads funds across “program banks,” get the list and make sure you’re not double‑counting limits.
• Terms: Some wallets pay a headline APY “up to” X% if you meet conditions (direct deposit, card spend). Miss a month and the rate can fall off a cliff. Fine print time.

How I handle it this fall: I won’t lock cash in a CD unless the breakeven versus my HYSA/MMF is under ~7 months given the stated penalty. I Bonds live in Bucket 3 only. Promo HYSAs go in my “parking lot,” not my core account. And for fintech wallets, I confirm FDIC/SIPC coverage and the actual legal entity holding funds before I move a dollar.

One last thing I forgot to say earlier: if you do break a CD, the penalty is interest, not principal at most banks, so the worst case isn’t catastrophic, it’s just annoying. Still, annoying is expensive when rates are rolling over.

Liquidity reality check: how fast can you pay the vet bill?

When stuff breaks, pipes, tires, pets, settlement speed beats a cute APY every single time. And with rates slipping this year, more folks are pushing cash into T‑Bills and MMFs without mapping the exit ramp. That’s how you end up with a Saturday emergency and money that technically “exists” but can’t move.

Here’s the unsexy timing that matters.

• Bank checking/savings: This is your fastest draw. Debit card = instant. ATM = instant, though most banks cap daily ATM withdrawals around ~$500-$1,000 and point-of-sale debit limits can be $2k-$5k unless you’ve customized them. Internal transfers (same bank) are usually immediate or same‑day. If your bank supports FedNow, some external transfers can post instantly, but only if both endpoints support it, so don’t assume. I keep at least one bill’s worth here because weekends happen.
• Brokerage MMFs and T‑Bills: Brokerage trades in the U.S. moved to T+1 settlement on May 28, 2024 (SEC rule change). That means selling an ETF or bond today typically settles next business day. MMFs are a bit quirky: many funds strike NAV and can be sold same day, but availability to spend depends on your broker’s policies. Some brokers let you spend instantly via a debit card or sweep-backed margin; others make you wait for settlement. Secondary-market Treasury trades are also conventionally T+1. Bottom line: verify whether your brokerage cash management allows same‑day spend or relies on margin. Don’t find out at the checkout counter.
• External ACH: Standard ACH is 1-3 business days, period. Same Day ACH exists, with three daily processing windows since 2021, and the per-payment dollar limit has been $1,000,000 since March 18, 2022 (Nacha data). Availability rules improved in 2021 too, receiving banks have to make Same Day ACH credits available by end of their processing day. But ACH still doesn’t run on bank holidays and the “business day” clock is a stickler. Keep some cash where you actually spend to bridge that gap.
• Wires and cut‑offs: Fedwire operates weekdays roughly 9:00 p.m. ET (prior calendar day) to 7:00 p.m. ET (Federal Reserve schedule). Your bank’s deadline will be earlier, common retail cut‑offs are 5:00 p.m. local time for domestic, earlier for international. Fees can run $15-$30 domestic, $35-$50 international, sometimes more. And no, wires don’t move on Saturday. Know your bank’s exact cut‑offs and fees now, not while you’re googling from the vet’s lobby.

Quick aside I should’ve mentioned earlier: some brokers auto-enable a small margin buffer on cash accounts tied to their debit cards, which can let a purchase go through before trades settle. That feels liquid, but it’s use, and after the rate cuts this year your margin rate may still be north of what you think. Debt to buy dog stitches ain’t my favorite trick.

How I handle it this fall: I keep 1-2 weeks of expenses in checking for true instant spend, another 1-2 months in a HYSA that lets me push/pull to the same-day debit card. My MMF/T‑Bills sit at a broker with a cash management debit that covers pending unsettled proceeds; I confirmed in writing what clears instantly and what doesn’t. I also saved my bank’s wire cut‑off (4:30 p.m. local) and fee schedule in my notes. One last hedge: a $1,000 unused credit line purely for timing mismatch. I’d rather pay a day of interest than sell the wrong thing on a red tape Tuesday.

Net of all that: improve yield, sure, but organize cash by time-to-usable. If you need it in under 60 minutes, it belongs in checking/HYSA with instant spend. If 24-48 hours is fine, MMF/T‑Bills are great, just confirm T+1 mechanics and any debit/margin settings. Everything else is for later this year when you’re not standing at the counter with a sick labrador.

Taxes, risk, and the “don’t get cute” rule

Emergency cash is not where you show off. It’s where you stay boring and liquid and, sorry, accept that a clean 4-5% before tax beats a messy 5.1% you can’t touch when your water heater explodes. A couple principles that keep me from getting cute:

• Tax basics: Interest from bank savings, checking, and CDs is ordinary income in the year you receive it (Form 1099-INT). Easy. Treasury bills and notes are also ordinary income for federal tax, but exempt from state and local tax. That state exemption matters if you live in, say, CA, NY, NJ, your after-tax yield on Treasuries or a Treasury-focused government money market fund is usually better than a same-yield bank account.
• Government MMFs vs. prime: Government money market funds keep credit risk near zero by sticking to Treasuries, agencies, and repos backed by them. Prime funds reach into commercial paper and bank debt to squeeze out a few extra basis points. History check: in March 2020, institutional prime funds saw over $100 billion of outflows in two weeks (ICI data), which forced emergency backstops. For emergency cash, that tiny extra yield is not worth the path dependency.
• FDIC/NCUA insurance: $250,000 per depositor, per institution, per ownership category. That’s the rule, still. If you’re sitting on more than that, spread it. Or use a sweep network that allocates across multiple banks. I’ve seen people park $700k in a single high‑yield savings account because the app is pretty, no, move the excess.
• No reach for muni or credit risk: Municipal money market funds can be federally tax‑exempt, but they do introduce municipal credit and liquidity dynamics for what, 10-30 bps in some markets after the recent rate cuts? Don’t chase that for emergency dollars. Same with corporate bond funds or “enhanced cash”, not the place.
• Keep duration tight: No equities, no long‑duration bond funds for emergency money. Prices move. Even intermediate Treasuries can drop a few percent on a rate scare; you don’t want to be watching a 3-5% drawdown while scheduling a plumber.

Where that leaves you this year: checking/HYSA for instant spend; government MMFs and short T‑Bills for 24-48 hour money. If you care about state taxes, Treasury bills and Treasury‑only MMFs usually help; plenty of Treasury MMFs reported a very high percentage of income from U.S. government obligations in 2024, which many states treat as state‑tax‑exempt (always check your fund’s 1099 footnote, some repos can muddy the percentage). Prime funds? Pass for this bucket.

One nuance I’ve tripped on: CDs. Great when the early withdrawal terms are explicit; not great when the bank “reserves the right to deny early redemption.” If your emergency shows up three months into a 12‑month CD, you want a predictable penalty, not a maybe. I’ll take a slightly lower yield with a clean 3‑month interest penalty every time.

Bottom line, don’t get cute. Take the clean tax treatment where you can, avoid credit surprises, respect insurance limits, and keep duration short. Save the heroics for your brokerage account; your emergency fund’s job is to be there, not to impress anyone.

Make it boring, keep it solvent

Make it boring, keep it solvent. Here’s how this ties together in a falling‑rate year like 2025. Priorities don’t change just because the Fed cut: access first, safety second, yield third. In that order. Why? Because the math is brutal on the downside. The average credit card APR sat above 22% last year (2024 Fed data on accounts assessed interest), so one missed paycheck or a blown water heater can wipe out a year of “improve” if your cash is locked or chasing an extra 30 bps. I know, it’s not sexy. It’s solvent.

So, use a simple 3‑bucket system and automate it. You can get fancy later if you’re bored. But now, keep it clean:

• Bucket 1, Instant cash (1-2 months of expenses): Checking + high‑yield savings at the same bank or app for instant pull. FDIC insurance up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank, per ownership category. If you’re over limits, split across institutions. Set a recurring transfer on payday (e.g., 5-10% of net) into this bucket. No CDs here, no prime MMFs, nothing with gates or fees.
• Bucket 2, Near‑cash (2-4 months): Treasury bills laddered monthly or a Treasury‑only money market fund. Yields stepped down from 2024’s 5%-handle highs, but they’re still decent relative to checking. Bonus: in 2024, many Treasury‑only MMFs reported a high percentage of income from U.S. government obligations, which several states treat as state‑tax‑exempt (check the fund’s 1099 footnote; some repos dilute the percentage). Automate monthly moves from Bucket 1 once you’re above your target cushion.
• Bucket 3, Optional buffer (3-6+ months, if your life is volatile): Short CDs with explicit penalties (e.g., 3 months of interest) or more T‑bills. Avoid CDs where the bank “may deny early redemption.” If you travel for work, have variable income, or kids in sports that seem to print invoices, this buffer saves your sanity.

Now, cadence. Recheck every quarter, promos end, rates move, and 2025 is a rate‑cut year. That HYSA at 5% APY last year might be 4% or less now; some rolled down 50-100 bps earlier this year. Treasury MMF yields adjust quickly when the Fed cuts, so don’t set and forget. Quick checklist: verify insurance limits, confirm your MMF’s holdings (Treasury‑only for this job), and glance at CD early‑withdrawal language. Takes 15 minutes with coffee.

One conversational note because I get this in my email every week: “Won’t I lose yield keeping so much in cash?” Sure, a little. But ask a simpler question, what costs more, losing 0.4% on a slice of cash or carrying a 22% card balance because your “better” cash is stuck in a 12‑month CD with fuzzy penalties? Exactly. The point is to never have to borrow at double‑digit rates just to bridge life.

If I’m being too granular, fine, here’s the shortcut I use personally: set target dollars for each bucket, automate payroll splits (some employers let you direct deposit into multiple accounts), and create a calendar reminder on the last Friday of each quarter: “Cash checkup.” If rates fall again later this year, I nudge a little from Bucket 2 to CDs with clean penalties, but only after Bucket 1 is rock solid. When rates bounce, I roll CDs into T‑bills. It’s boring on purpose.

Last thing, and then I’ll shut up: financial success here is mostly about staying liquid when life gets messy. No hero trades, no spreadsheets that require a PhD. Instant cash for shocks, near‑cash for yield, and optional buffers if your life throws curveballs. You won’t brag about this setup at dinner. You also won’t be paying 22% APR because your cash was “working harder.” I’ll take boring and solvent every single time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I set up an emergency fund after this year’s rate cuts without getting trapped by promos?

A: Keep it boring and liquid. Park 1-2 months of expenses in a no‑fee checking account you actually use, then 3-4 months in an FDIC‑insured high‑yield savings with no hoops (no direct deposit requirements, no balance tiers). Link accounts for same‑bank instant transfers if possible. Ignore teaser APYs that reset in 3-6 months. Recheck the rate quarterly and be willing to move, but only to equal‑or‑better liquidity.

Q: What’s the difference between a high‑yield savings account and a brokerage cash sweep or money market fund for emergency cash?

A: High‑yield savings (HYSA) at a bank is simple: FDIC insurance up to $250k per depositor, per bank, straightforward access, usually instant transfers within the same bank/app, and ACH out 1-3 business days to external accounts. The catch is promo APYs that drop. Brokerage sweeps vary: some pay tiny yields, some are competitive, but terms change and the “sweep” isn’t always the best rate the broker has. Money market funds (MMFs) at a brokerage, especially government MMFs, often yield well and invest in short‑term Treasuries/agency debt. They’re not FDIC‑insured; they’re covered by SIPC for custody, not market value. Liquidity is generally T+0 for trades placed before cutoff, but moving cash from brokerage to your bank can still take 1-2 business days. Prime MMFs can impose gates/fees in stress; government MMFs historically have not, which is why I prefer gov’t MMFs for near‑cash. For true emergencies, broken axle on a Friday, bank HYSA/checking is usually faster to spend from. I use a hybrid: immediate needs at a bank, extra buffer in a government MMF I can sell same day, knowing the bank transfer might land next business day. Also, reality check: if a 0.20% yield difference is the only reason you’d choose slower access, that’s false economy when credit cards were ~22% APR in 2024 per Fed G.19.

Q: Is it better to split my emergency fund across two accounts to hedge promo drops?

A: Yes, within reason. Keep the first 1-2 months of expenses in checking (or a HYSA with instant debit/ATM access). Put the next 3-4 months in a plain‑vanilla HYSA with no gimmicks. If you want a little extra yield, park a final month or two in a government money market fund you can sell same day, but expect 1-2 business days to reach your bank. The goal is zero reliance on teaser APYs and zero chance you’re forced onto a ~22% APR card if timing goes sideways.

Q: Should I worry about ACH transfer delays if my car dies on a Friday?

A: Yeah, a bit. ACH can take 1-3 business days, and Fridays are where plans go to die. Keep $500-$1,000 in checking for instant spend, plus a linked HYSA at the same bank for immediate internal transfers. If you must move cash cross‑bank, consider paying the instant transfer fee. Avoid overdrafts, banks collected about $9B in overdraft/NSF fees in 2022, and it hasn’t exactly vanished.

@article{where-to-keep-emergency-fund-after-rate-cuts,
    title   = {Where To Keep Emergency Fund After Rate Cuts},
    author  = {Beeri Sparks},
    year    = {2025},
    journal = {Bankpointe},
    url     = {https://bankpointe.com/articles/emergency-fund-after-rate-cuts/}
}