Given today's shaky job picture, you need fully six months' worth of expenses set aside in a liquid account that you can raid if calamity strikes. Fall short? Adding to that stash is a no-brainer. Because yields on many of the typical cash options look rotten -- six-month CDs are kicking off an average 0.62%, and money-market funds are hovering around 0.05% - your best bet is a high-yield online savings account. One example: Ally Bank (
ally.com; 1.75% yield; no minimum). Find other solutions at
bankrate.com.
By Joe Light, Ismat Sarah Mangla and Penelope Wang
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