Plutonomy

Plutonomy is a term invented by some analysts at Citigroup. Download their articles here. The central thesis goes against everything you probably thought about people's saving behavior and what is taught in macroeconomics and development economics. They provide evidence that today in the more unequal developed economies - the plutonomies - the rich save less than the poor or the middle class. In order to understand this idea you need to remember that in the national accounts capital gains are not included as part of personal income. Most capital gains go to the highest income and wealthiest segment of a society. If you are a CEO with big options grants it is easy to spend your salary and save the profits from your option exercises and have a zero savings rate. This turns the popular notion that the decline in the US personal savings rate is due to poor and middle income consumers spending beyond their means (by cashing out housing equity in the middle class or running up credit card and other consumer debt in the working class) on its head. Another thing they don't mention is that people who save successfully for retirement are going to end up in the wealthier segment of society and they are dissaving. This phenomenon does not apply to developing economies apparently even though many are far more unequal than the United States. It is certainly an intriguing idea and the evidence looks strong but something is still nagging in my mind that makes it hard to 100% believe in it.