Where will your clients obtain much-needed cash when their expenses run high (e.g. an emergency medical bill or the mortgage payment) and their bank accounts are low? Basically, there are four common sources for emergency money: IRAs, 401(k)s, home equity (for those who still have any), and life insurance. Each of these has its own set of tax rules, affecting how much of the cash will be available to the client and how much must instead be paid in taxes.