Expecting a refund check from the IRS? Most Americans do, and the average refund is over $2,000. Don't use it toward paying bills, buying a new wardrobe or a down payment for a new car or a house. Start an emergency fund. Financial planners think that you should keep three to six months worth of cash in a reserve account for life's little emergencies - losing your job, a water main breaks in your front yard, you have to fly out-of-state to a funeral. It will keep you from relying on your credit cards to bail you out — and having to pay the piper later.
