Glossary

Liquidity

Liquidity refers to how quickly and easily you can convert an asset to cash without significant loss in value. Cash and savings accounts are highly liquid; real estate and retirement accounts are not.

Why it matters

Having too little liquidity means you can't cover emergencies without selling investments at a loss or paying penalties. Having too much means cash sitting idle, losing value to inflation. The right balance depends on your job stability, expenses, and how quickly you might need access to funds.

Example

A savings account is fully liquid — you can withdraw anytime. A 401(k) is illiquid before age 59.5 because early withdrawals trigger a 10% penalty plus income tax.

How Ray helps

Ray shows you how much of your wealth is in liquid vs. illiquid accounts. Ask to see your readily available funds across all connected accounts.

Terminal
$ ray "how much liquid cash do I have access to?"

Related terms

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