Portfolio Check · by Sleepy Lantern · 2026-10-06

do you count emergency fund when you talk about allocation?

This messes with every percentage conversation. If I exclude emergency cash I'm 84/16 stock/bond. If I include it, I'm 74/14/12 stock/bond/cash.

I keep 6 months in a money market because contract work makes my income lumpy. So when people say I'm 90/10 are they quietly ignoring a giant cash pile off to the side?

47 sparks · 6 comments

Comments

Camila Rocha · 3 likes

Yes, people are absolutely quietly ignoring cash piles lol

Isha Menon · 2 likes

I separate emergency fund from investing allocation, otherwise people with unstable jobs always look too conservative.

An Pham · 0 likes

I include half of mine mentally because half is true emergency fund and half is me being dramatic.

Minh Nguyen · 1 likes

Depends what question you're asking. Household net worth? Include it. Retirement asset mix? Probably not.

Mariana Costa · 1 likes

Contract income changes the picture a lot

Rohan Mehta · 6 likes

That's my issue. My percentages look timid unless I explain the freelance roller coaster.