Topic: Savings

Broken piggy bank full of coins Feature / Retirement

Save, Save, Save, but Then What? Financial Structure and Spending in Retirement

Innumerable nudges help savings accumulation; now researchers turn to decumulation

Illustration of US dollars stacked Feature / Retirement Planning

Are Americans Really Annuity-Averse? Clear Thinking on Retirement Income

A monthly check, not just a pile of cash: Studies demystify the instruments too few are using

Woman with a laptop and smartphone Research Brief / Retirement Planning

Thinking Small Could Deliver Bigger Retirement Success for Gig Workers

Daily, weekly and monthly contribution schemes gauge behavior

Illustration of a man weighing two balances Research Brief / Retirement Planning

Behind the Annuity Conundrum: The Belief They’re Unfair

Researchers find little commonality among haters of the difficult-to-sell retirement products, except when discussing fairness

People in line outside the Bank of China Research Brief / Cultural History

Culture Affects How People Save Money

Immigrants show saving tendencies that carry through several generations

Illustration of a man walking on a tight wire with a net below Feature / Goal Setting

The Case for Building Wiggle Room into Goals

Aiming high, with some flexibility to trip up along the way, spurs greater success

Person using a computer to check their 401K Research Brief / Retirement Planning

Maximizing Retirement Savings: More Nudging Required

Tweaking 401(k) website design and language can significantly boost worker contributions, yet HR doesn’t always see these opportunities

Illustration of a woman meditating Research Brief / Personal Finance

Good Information Alone Won’t Drive Financial Well-Being

A review of academic research finds the path to saving more and spending less often involves emotional prompts

Illustration of binoculars Research Brief / Marketing

When Does the Future Begin?

Believing it arrives sooner leads people to, well, prepare for it

Overview of a downtown city scape Research Brief / Unemployment

Consumer Spending and Jobless Data: a Peculiar Threshold

A 12-month high in local unemployment triggers savings behavior

Research Brief / Nudges

Fresh-Start Framing Boosts Retirement Plan Participation

A behavioral nudge passes a real-world test with 6,000 workers

An illustration of a man holding an umbrella standing ina sea of alarm clocks. Research Brief / Nudges

Lack of Urgency Can Undermine a Popular Behavioral Nudge

Encouraging pre-commitment to a future behavior helps people do hard things — but it can backfire

The hands of a young woman depositing check by phone in the cafe. Research Brief / Banking

Why Big Banks Can Pay Less on Deposits

Their level of technology and services makes up for it; it’s vice versa with little banks