Spending slows, saving refunds, & more
The slow economy may be forcing Americans to cut their 
spending and save more, a national survey found.
Harris Interactive said its poll showed that 25 percent of Americans said they were “spending wisely” or spending less and saving more. A year ago only 2 percent of those surveyed said they were doing that.
Meanwhile, the number who said they were not saving money declined to 15 percent from 29 percent last year.
The main savings vehicle—at 40 percent of the total—was a savings account, followed by employer-sponsored retirement plans at 13 percent.
Tax refunds
Some 85 percent of Americans who expect an income tax refund say they will save or invest it or pay off a debt, found a poll conducted for TD Ameritrade.
The majority—51 percent—said they would pay off a debt. Consumers have about $1 trillion in debt, according to the Financial Planning Association, an industry trade group.
Retirement savings
American savers had stuffed a record $17.8 trillion into retirement accounts as of Sept. 30, 2007, up from $17.5 trillion three months earlier, said the Investment Company Institute, a mutual fund trade group.
The biggest holdings were $4.8 trillion in individual retirement accounts, followed by $2.4 trillion in employer-sponsored retirement plans.