Factors Affecting Saving, Policy tools, and Tax Reform: A Review

Abstract

The literature on factors affecting saving and capital formation in industrialized countries is reviewed, and measurement problems are examined. The effect on the saving rate of real rates of return, income redistribution, allocation of saving between corporations and individuals, growth of public and private pension plans, tax incentives, the bequest motive, energy prices, and inflation is considered, and the limited tools available to policymakers to affect savings are discussed. Finally, the extent to which recent tax reforms in a number of countries have been affected by the desire to increase saving is reviewed.