I Owe You an Apology: I've Been Teaching the Wrong Emergency Fund Amount
The Table with Anthony ONeal
The Neatness Network
4.8 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 20 April 2026
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
$1,000 Is No Longer Enough! I have to say it. I taught the $1,000 emergency fund rule for years. Today, I'm officially changing it — and I'm owning that.
In 2026, a minor car accident costs $1,500–$3,000. One ER visit? Same. A broken water heater? Up to $2,000. The truth is, you can lose $1,000 in the time it takes to sneeze. The economy has changed, and our advice has to change with it.
In this video, I'm breaking down:
- Why $1,000 is no longer enough as a starter emergency fund
- The new number I'm teaching (and why it works)
- The 4 rules to protect your emergency fund
- Exactly how to build it — step by step
- Where to keep it so your money actually works for you
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- High-Yield Savings Accounts (updated weekly): https://www.anthonyoneal.com/savings
- Open Your Investment Account Today (updated weekly): https://www.anthonyoneal.com/invest
- Download In The Black App: https://www.anthonyoneal.com/app
ABOUT ANTHONY ONEAL:
Anthony O'Neal is a nationally bestselling author, speaker, and host of The Table with Anthony O'Neal. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance & Banking and is a professor of Consumer Economics at Virginia Union University. Since 2014, he's helped millions of people get out of debt, build wealth, and break generational poverty. His mission is to help you maximize your income, eliminate debt, and create a life of freedom and legacy.
📅 BOOK ANTHONY TO SPEAK AT YOUR EVENT: bookings@anthonyoneal.com
🤝 SPONSOR THE TABLE PODCAST: partnerships@anthonyoneal.com
Connect With Anthony:
👉 Website: https://www.anthonyoneal.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyoneal
🎵 TikTok: @_anthonyoneal
FREE TOOLS & RESOURCES:
📊 Budgeting & Wealth Tracker: https://www.anthonyoneal.com/wealthbudget
🧠 Book a FREE 15-Minute Financial Plan: https://www.anthonyoneal.com/getmyplan
📞 Call In & Be On The Show: (771)-224-8131
TRUSTED PARTNERS:
These tools help you win with money:
- SoFi High-Yield Savings (Earn 4.6% APY): https://anthonyoneal.com/savings
- Dovly (Credit repair made simple): https://www.anthonyoneal.com/dovly
- Kikoff (Build credit the smart way): https://www.anthonyoneal.com/kikoff
- MooMoo (Start investing + get 5 FREE stocks): https://www.anthonyoneal.com/moomoo
- Ethos Life Insurance (Term life in minutes): https://link.anthonyoneal.com/ethos
- BetterHelp (Affordable online therapy): https://link.anthonyoneal.com/betterhelp
Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Many offer special discounts for my community!
⚠️ GENERAL DISCLAIMER
This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. I am not a licensed financial advisor. Please do your own research and consult a certified professional before making financial decisions.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Family, I'm going to start off the show by saying I apologize up front. |
| 0:04.0 | I owe my community. |
| 0:07.0 | I straight up apology. |
| 0:08.0 | I remember one afternoon when I was about 21 years old, I coasted my car into a gas station. |
| 0:16.0 | And I say coasted because the car was running literally on fumes. I was scared to press the gas pedal. |
| 0:24.4 | I remember when I pulled into the gas station, I called my bank to check my balance because |
| 0:29.6 | back then we didn't have the internet like that. |
| 0:32.5 | The automated voice told me that I had $6.32 to my name, not in my accounts, but in my only account that I had. |
| 0:42.1 | On that particular day, it was a Wednesday evening, and payday was not until Friday morning. |
| 0:49.8 | Not Friday early morning. It was really Friday right before lunchtime. So remember, leaving the gas |
| 0:55.8 | station going straight to McDonald's, ordered two double cheese burgers and two sweet teas, |
| 1:00.9 | got home, took out a kitchen knife, and cut both burgers in half. The reason why I cut both |
| 1:10.1 | burgers in half is because that was going to be my lunch and |
| 1:13.2 | dinner for the next two days, skipping over breakfast. When I really look at it, that was somewhat of my |
| 1:24.2 | emergency fund. Hmm. |
| 1:37.3 | And for years after that, after I learned better, after I matured, after I started building wealth, after I started teaching my community, I would tell you all that $1,000 was enough money |
| 1:43.3 | in your starter emergency fund to get started. |
| 1:46.0 | And truly, while that advice came from a good place, from a healthy place, |
| 1:52.0 | in 2026 and moving forward, I was wrong. |
| 1:56.0 | Today I own that. Today I am correcting that. And I'm giving you the real number and exactly how to build it. |
| 2:07.3 | So I really need you to stay with me throughout today's show because I'm not going to be giving you a bunch of fluff. |
| 2:12.7 | I'm really coming from my heart, coming from statistics and backing up why I am changing my numbers, why moving |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Neatness Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Neatness Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.