Personal Savings Rates Actually Jumped in March

Many U.S. employees are feeling acute economic pain as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but the government mandated shutdowns actually allowed them to save a lot more in March than in January or February.

Personal income decreased by $382.1 billion, or roughly 2%, during March, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis within the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Disposable personal income fell by $334.6 billion, also about 2%, during the month but, on the other hand, personal consumption expenditures decreased by a much more significant $1.13 trillion (7.5%). The bureau says the decline in March personal income and outlays was, in large part, due to the response to the spread of COVID-19, as governments issued stay-at-home orders.

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Clearly, many consumers responded to the orders by restricting and redirecting their spending during the month. This helped to propel March’s personal savings volume to $2.17 trillion.

A separate analysis published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis also shows that personal savings rates grew during the month of March, and significantly. According to the data out of St. Louis, personal savings rates averaged 7.7% at the beginning of January. During the month of March, they jumped to 13.1%. Data is not yet available for the month of April, however, when the full economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic began to be felt by the vast majority of U.S. workers and consumers.

Meanwhile, Fidelity has released findings from an internal survey showing 36% of Americans are very or extremely concerned about their finances. Twenty-two percent said they or someone in their household has been furloughed or laid off. Thirty percent are very or extremely concerned about their health, and 15% said that they or someone they know has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Those concerns have not yet translated to the suspension of savings, as the March data shows, but they could in the months ahead. For their part, so far only 8% of plan sponsors have either suspended or reduced their company match. Twenty-nine percent are considering doing so, though, while 63% say they will maintain their current match program. Ninety-six percent have adopted coronavirus-related distribution (CRD) options for at least one plan, according to Fidelity.

Another encouraging sign is that some 164,950 workers have taken such a distribution. This is obviously a sizable group of people, but in fact it only represents 0.7% of the individuals on Fidelity’s platform across both 401(k) and 403(b) plans. Of those individuals who have taken a Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) distribution, more than 3,000 have requested the maximum $100,000.

Fidelity further finds most retirees are holding steady, though one in three report feeling more stressed about maintaining their nest egg through retirement.

Ascensus Announces COVID-19-Dedicated Resources

The features include insights, analytics and trends in today’s market climate.

Ascensus has added several COVID-19-specific resources to its website, including infographics, behavioral analytics and legislative insights.

“Advisers and retirement plan sponsors face a dual-edged challenge today: dealing with the life-altering realities of the COVID-19 pandemic and responding thoughtfully to the way that it’s impacting their businesses, retirement plans and participants,” says David Musto, president and CEO of Ascensus.

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Among the resources are a COVID-19 Ascensus.com homepage, where advisers and employers can receive updates, analysis and decision-support guides. The firm’s Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) team has also added a Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act infographic series, breaking down the provisions of the relief package and other related COVID-19 guidance.

Other features include a behavioral analytics series, with insights that highlight trends in savings behaviors, to better consider plan design alternatives, decision-making and participant communication and education efforts; a change of plans guide to help employers manage expenses to meet short-term financial needs, avoid fiduciary risk and support long-term retirement security goals; and legislative insights and advocacy on regulations, products, operating standards and industry trends.

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