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Is there a revolution in American saving?

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  • Tatom, John

Abstract

The personal saving rate spiked up to an unusually high level in 2008 and spring 2009, prompting many observers to suggest that the financial crisis has created a new thrift ethic, reversing decades of decline in U.S. saving to near zero. The depth of the recent financial and economic crisis has prompted many to believe that there has been a sea change in attitudes toward regulation, independence and personal responsibility and that a permanent rise in saving behavior has taken place. There are many reasons for personal saving to have surged recently, however, and most of them are very temporary, especially the Obama tax cut, so it is not likely that the personal saving rate will persist at a higher level. Betting on fundamental changes in behavior is a risky, dare we say foolish, business in the absence of more fundamental change in the economic environment or incentives.

Suggested Citation

  • Tatom, John, 2009. "Is there a revolution in American saving?," MPRA Paper 16139, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:16139
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    1. Milton Friedman, 1957. "A Theory of the Consumption Function," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number frie57-1.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Saving; Financial crisis; Personal saving rate;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E62 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Fiscal Policy; Modern Monetary Theory
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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