New Delhi, Sept. 16 -- How long would your household manage if your income stopped tomorrow? That question matters more than blindly following a fixed savings rule.

An emergency fund should cover the time needed to restore income. Its size depends on family needs, work stability and financial responsibilities.

The textbook definition says an emergency fund is formed by saving 3-6 months' expenses. However, this is 2026; there are concerns about artificial intelligence (AI), job losses and growing personal financial pressures.

Amid extended AI spending, Oracle earlier fired 30,000 employees with immediate effect. Among them, around 12,000 employees are from India. They were laid off over a 6 AM email.

So, the question remains: Is the t...