Savings Slump Signals Fragile Ground Beneath U.S. Growth

A BEA/BEA report shows the U.S. personal savings rate fell to 2.6% in April (the lowest since June 2022) while core retail spending rose 5.7% year over year and personal income grew 2.5%. The gap between spending and income widened to 3.2 percentage points, meaning Americans are drawing down savings to maintain living standards. Even with strong markets and low unemployment, this shrinking cushion suggests consumer-driven growth may be unsustainable and could pose risks to the economy and to the political narrative surrounding Trump’s agenda.