Doug, I understand your concern about building your emergency fund faster. Here’s my advice:
Cash out that $20,000 in stock as soon as possible. Put the money in a simple money market account.
Make sure the account has check writing privileges and no penalties for early withdrawals. Right now, your emergency fund is in stock. That’s a bad place to keep it.
You never know when unexpected expenses will come up or when the stock market will go down. Your emergency fund should always be safe and easy to access.
Secure your emergency fund quickly
Remember, it’s insurance, not an investment. After you have your emergency fund set up, make sure to keep pushing forward. Jump back into saving for retirement.
Start putting money into your 401(k) again. You and your wife are doing great overall. You have no debt except your home and a good combined income.
Just keep following the steps and you’ll be in great shape financially. Let me know if you have any other questions!