Are we a nation of savers or spendthrifts? With the release last week of data on savings rates in Ireland and Europe, it occurred to me that in more than a quarter of a century writing columns, I have never explored this matter. That is despite the huge importance of savings for economies and individuals. How economies perform, both in the short term and long term, is strongly influenced by how much is saved, which in turn has traditionally determined how much is invested in the capital stock. At a personal level, savings are a major factor in how individuals…

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