Episode 374: How to Build a Proper Emergency Fund for an Unplanned Business Expense | TMFG | CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd.

Episode 374: How to Build a Proper Emergency Fund for an Unplanned Business Expense

A piece of equipment fails, a big client walks, or a lawsuit lands on your desk, could your business cover it without touching your personal savings?

In this episode of Think Smart with TMFG, we go back to square one on business emergency funds: why it’s easy to put off when things are going well, and why the businesses hit hardest are usually the ones doing fine right up until they weren’t.

We dig into why mixing personal and business emergency savings is a mistake, your corporation should be self-sustaining on its own cash flow, and why pulling personal money in to bail it out undoes that separation for good. From there, we talk about how to size your fund based on your expense ratio and industry risk, why a revolving credit line is a shaky substitute for cash, and why keeping it liquid inside a holdco, not the operating company, protects it from quietly getting spent.

Finally, we share practical strategies: carving out a consistent percentage of revenue, treating it with the same discipline as setting aside for a tax bill, and why liquidity beats rate of return for this particular pool of money.

📌 If you’re not sure where your business stands on emergency reserves, feel free to reach out. We’d be happy to help you work through the numbers:

Schedule a meeting here

🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube.

Follow us: 
LinkedIn: The McClelland Financial Group
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmfg.ca 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themcclellandfinancialgroup_/ 

Hosting this episode: Mike Connon, Senior Financial Advisor and Carlo Cansino, Senior Financial Advisor

Related articles

retirement Articles

Saving for Retirement Is Only Half the Job

For years, Canadians have been told to focus on one question: “Am I saving enough for retirement?” It’s an important question, but there’s another one ...
Read More →
Y67YLBQOB5EJFNTC4JS4RJIBBA (1) Articles

Planning a family wealth meeting? Here are five steps to take

As featured in The Globe and Mail  ·  By Helen Burnett-Nichols  ·  Published October 5, 2026 Some clients are deciding it’s time to become less ...
Read More →
Cover - GL Blog Sept 2026 Articles

TFSA vs. RRSP vs. FHSA: Where should your next dollar go?

Most Canadians saving toward the future eventually run into the same question: with a TFSA, an RRSP, and now an FHSA all available, where should ...
Read More →

Financial Planning Advice from Canada's Top Financial Advisors

Sign-up to receive email updates on the financial industry and complimentary workshops.

By providing your email address, you provide us with your express consent to send you commercial electronic messages related to finances and/or investments that maybe of interest to you. Should you wish to discontinue receiving emails of this nature, you may contact us to withdraw your consent at any time. Your personal information will not be distributed, sold, or traded – it will remain strictly confidential and will only be used for the purpose for which it was provided. For more information on Assante’s commitment to privacy and responsible use of information, please visit www.assante.com/privacy-policy.

Toronto's Top Financial Advisors

CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd. is a Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization. Wealth planning services may be provided by an accredited CI Assante Advisor or through Cl Assante Private Client, a division of Cl Private Counsel LP, or a non-affiliated third party. Insurance products and services are provided through Assante Estate and Insurance Services Inc.