163 pages. "This report is designed to present information about national saving -- as measured in the National Income and Product Accounts -- and its implications for economic growth and retirement security. GAO addresses the following questions: [1] what is personal saving, how is it related to national saving, and what are the implications of low personal saving for Americans' retirement security? [2] what is national saving and how does current saving in the United States compare to historical trends and saving in other countries? [3] how does national saving affect the economy and how would higher saving affect the long-term outlook? [4] how does federal fiscal policy affect national saving, what federal policies have been aimed at increasing private saving, and how would Social Security and Medicare reform affect national saving? and [5] what are the key issues in evaluating national saving?" [GAO-01-591SP, Jun. 1, 2001]

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