Poupar e gastar

"There’s a time in everyone’s life to save. There’s also a time when you’re supposed to spend. That time is commonly known as retirement.

Millions of Americans aren’t doing that, however, which has put the U.S. in a perverse situation. Younger generations aren’t saving enough as their income slips further behind previous generations. Older Americans meanwhile sit atop unprecedented piles of assets built through stock market and real estate booms.

Yet these retirees, or at least the affluent ones, aren’t spending it. It turns out they’re afraid of the unknown.

In all, American households and nonprofits were worth $93 trillion at the end of last year, according the U.S. Federal Reserve. That’s almost $300,000 for every man, woman, and child in the country. Of that, Americans held $25.3 trillion as retirement assets, according to the Investment Company Institute. That includes $8.4 trillion in defined-benefit pensions and $14.9 trillion in individual retirement accounts and 401(k)-style plans."

Fonte: Bloomberg

Normalmente, presume-se que as pessoas poupam para continuar a ter níveis de vida confortáveis quando se reformam, logo o evento da reforma iniciaria um período de poupanças negativas. Mas para um grupo de reformados, que acumulou grandes poupanças, isto parece não fazer sentido, pois mesmo reformados não só não gastam, como continuam a poupar. Deduz-se, então, que a causa de terem acumulado tanta riqueza foi o não gastarem, em vez da ideia comum de que acumularam a riqueza para a gastar.