How To: Begin Funding your Financial Security

Here is a summary from a Yahoo personal finance how to guide. Click on summary to go to the whole article.

Summary:

• Outstanding debt is one of the biggest obstacles to saving.
  
• Disability insurance is a major safeguard against financial trouble if you're out of work for an extended period.
  
• Most experts recommend saving at least three months' worth of living expenses in case income stops. An easy and painless way to fund an emergency cash account is through an automatic savings plan.
  
• Money-market funds are a potentially higher-earning alternative to bank savings accounts. But money-market funds can technically lose money (though they have met their financial obligations), and yields will fluctuate, unlike savings accounts. Also, savings accounts are FDIC-insured.
  
• Tax-advantaged retirement plans are a terrific way to help build long-term financial security