Consumers reportedly have added $1 trillion to their savings at banks and credit unions since the start of the last recession in October 2007.
According to research firm Market Rates Insight, About 92% or $923 billion of that trillion dollar amount in deposits came from the increase in personal disposable income in the last three years. Deposits in domestic branches of FDIC insured institutions reached an all time high of $7.74 trillion, according to FDIC data. Concurrently, disposable personal income, which is personal income less taxes, reached an all time high of $11.48 trillion in October - an increase of $923 billion over the disposable personal income level of $10.56 trillion in October 2007, data from the U.S. Department of Commerce showed.
"The last recession had a deep and long-lasting impact on consumer behavior in two major areas." said Dan Geller, executive vice president at MRI. "The uncertainty about the prospects of economic recovery is causing consumers to save more and spend less, and to trade higher return for safety."
