On Sunday, I explained what a sink fund is – and how it helps to stretch our budget. Today I want to explain how – and where – we save our sink funds.

When I started to investigate where to "keep" our sink funds (assuming that under the mattress wasn't a great idea), I knew there were several characteristics I was looking for in a savings account.

1. An account that would be separate from our main checking account. Some people successfully keep all their money in the same account and have the self-discipline not to dip into money that isn't allocated. I, however, didn't trust us that much. Keeping the money separate is visually and practically important to me.

2. An account that would allow me to have sub-accounts. I didn't want to have to set up a dozen different accounts. That would have been way too much virtual paperwork to stay on top of. I wanted one account with partitions between my money – so I could shut off my Emergency Fund money from the Home Sink Fund money. (Again, getting back to #1 – separation is good for us!)

3. I wanted to earn a bit of interest, but "making money" on my Sink Funds was NOT a priority. Sink Funds are money with an intended and immediately foreseeable purpose. Making money through investments requires risk. I was not willing to risk our Sink Funds.

When I added 1 + 2 + 3, I ended up back at ING.

Yup, the same online bank that we use for our "virtual envelopes" checking account. Here's why ING made the most sense for us:

1. ING is not where we have our primary checking and business checking accounts – those are at a local brick & mortar bank. So, it's separate from the rest of our everyday money.

2.ING allows you to set up sub accounts (which I'll talk you thru below), so my home maintenance funds aren't co-mingling with my car repair funds.

3. ING pays interest – a very paltry .85% right now (weep). But again, I'm not out to make money. I'm out to hold my money safely, until I need it – which will, no doubt, be within a few months at the most.

How to Set up Sub-Accounts at ING

When you first sign up for an ING savings account, you will need to do a little bit of paperwork. To verify that you are who you say you are, ING will need you to authorize a transfer from an outside bank account.

You will also get assigned a Saver ID. This ID is a 9-digit number, which applies to your entire ING portfolio – savings, checking, kids' accounts if you want to set them up, Retirement Accounts, etc.

I set up our account so that both DH and I have access to it. He has his own Saver ID, but both IDs are able to access the portfolio.

When you are ready to start creating sub-accounts, you just log in to ING with your Saver ID (and password and security questions) and click on Open an Account (it's the second "ball" on the top left).

Then click on Orange Savings Account (it's the first option).

Under "How Do You Want to Set Up Your Account", I always click on Joint, so that both my husband and I have access. I actually manage all of our ING accounts, but if G-d forbid something should happen to me, I want my husband to have seamless access to our accounts.

To make it a Joint sub-account, I just have to enter his Saver ID and password.

If for some reason we wanted to, one of us could create an individual sub-account, which the other would be able to see, but not deposit or withdrawal funds from.

When creating your sub-savings accounts, you get to choose a name for each one. I have creatively named them things like "Property Taxes Fund" and "Day School Tuition Fund".

You need to fund your new sub-account, either with a deposit from another sub-account, or from an outside bank. There is no minimum balance – so you can open a sub-account with just $1.

Later, when you want to transfer money into one of your savings account, you will be prompted to select which sub-account you want the deposit credited to.

Once you finish creating the sub-account, it automatically shows up on your ING dashboard. You will be able to see all of your accounts on one page – with their subtotals, and then the grand total at the bottom.

I love being able to see all my accounts in one place – and knowing exactly where each one stands – without having to toggle between screens and accounts. I love that my funds are divided, but I don't have to hassle with a ton of extra paperwork.

Our Sub-Accounts

If you are wondering, here is a list of the (many) different sub-accounts that we have at ING. These have evolved over time and are the ones that work for our family needs (i.e. if you do this, you will probably find that you have different needs and therefore different sub-accounts).

• Family Gift Fund – which I explained HERE

• Insurance Sink Fund (car, life, home owners and disability – combined) – which I described HERE

• Car Maintenance, Repair & Replacement Fund – which I talked about HERE

• Home Repairs & Improvement Fund – which I explained HERE

• Auto Registration Fund – Our annual license & registration fee divided by 12

• Accountant Fund – Our average bill to the accountant for year-end and quarterly taxes, divided by 12

• Computer Fund – $30 per month, to go toward replacing hardware, updating software, etc. Since we both work for ourselves and are on our computers all day long, a dead computer would be a bonafide "emergency".

• Day School Fund – We divide our annual tuition bill into 10, then save that amount for 12 months. We pay the school twice a year, rather than monthly – since there is a 1.5% discount for paying in a lump sum (which is higher than the interest rate we earn on our savings). The extra two payments each year are what we use to fund our kids' summer activities – camp, lessons, etc.

• Property Tax Fund – Since the bank doesn't escrow our taxes, we do it ourselves. Our property value has gone up each year, which means we need to readjust the amount every time we get a new assessment. When our annual tax bill comes, we just transfer the money into our checking account and make a payment.

• Vacation Fund – This sub-account unfortunately doesn't get funded monthly (not enough money in the budget), but whenever we have a windfall, this is one of the two places it goes.
  

• Kids' "Future Events" Fund – This is the other place a windfall goes. Right now, this fund is a sort of catch-all for Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, college, weddings…. we need to define this better, but for now, it's a small fund that we add to when we can.

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投稿者 Max 時刻: 14:18