For way too long I've just kept 6-month's (or more) worth of expenses in a USAA checking account, earning .01% interest. I have two questions: 1) How much should I keep in a checking account (e.g., to pay monthly bills from)? 2) Where else should I keep this money that would yield a better return? This money just needs to be liquid enough so I could access it for some sort of financial emergency.