This paper provides new evidence that sustained budget deficits reduce national saving and raise interest rates by economically and statistically significant quantities. Using a series of econometric specifications that nest Ricardian and non-Ricardian models, we obtain evidence of strong...

This paper uses data from the largest tax preparer in the United States to estimate the impact of the "saver's credit," aUSfederal program providing financial incentives to encourage retirement savings, on the decision to contribute to an IRA. It finds significant, but very modest, effects. This...

This paper analyzes the effects of a large randomized field experiment carried out with Hamp;R Block, offering matching incentives for IRA contributions at the time of tax preparation. About 14,000 Hamp;R Block clients, across 60 offices in predominantly low- and middle-income neighborhoods in...