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. A new study finds many U.S. retirees keep saving even after they’ve retired. The average American over the age of 60 cuts spending 2.5 percent per year, or about 20 percent over a 10-year period, according to an analysis of University of Michigan survey data by financial planning software company United Income. FULL REPORT
