Americans Saving More And Spending Less Has Economists Worried

Americans are saving roughly 4% to 5% of their income in a typical month, according to new numbers from the Commerce Department. Sounds like a cause for celebration, right? Not for the economists in Washington.

Politicos are afraid of what's called "the paradox of thrift." In the short run, saving money even as incomes rise incrementally actually causes the economy to grow more slowly than it would if we were all shopaholics.