What’s the difference between saving and investing? The terms saving and investing are often used interchangeably, but there’s a difference. See Smart About Money, from the National Endowment for Financial Planning:
- Savingis setting aside money you don’t spend now for emergencies or for a future purchase. It’s money you want to be able to access quickly, with little or no risk, and with the least amount of taxes. Financial institutions offer a number of different savings options.
- Investingis buying assets such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds or real estate with the expectation that your investment will make money for you. Investments usually are selected to achieve long-term goals. Generally speaking, investments can be categorized as income investments or growth investments.
Saving, from the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics
Saving means different things to different people. To some it means putting money in the bank. To others it means buying stocks or contributing to a pension plan. But to economists, saving means only one thing—consuming less in the present in order to consume more in the future.
An easy way to understand the economist’s view of saving—and its importance for economic growth—is to consider an economy in which there is a single commodity, say, corn. The amount of corn on hand at any point in time can either be consumed (literally gobbled up) or saved. Any corn that is saved is immediately planted (invested), yielding more corn in the future. Hence, saving adds to the stock of corn in the ground, or in economic jargon, the stock of capital. The greater the stock of capital, the greater the amount of future corn, which can, in turn, either be consumed or saved….
Investment, from the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics
Although in general parlance investment may connote many types of economic activity, economists normally use the term to describe the purchase of durable goods by households, businesses, and governments. Private (nongovernmental) investment is commonly divided into three broad categories: residential investment, which accounts for about a quarter of all private investment (25.7 percent in 1990); nonresidential, or business, fixed investment, which accounts for most of the remainder; and inventory investment, which is small but volatile. Indeed, inventory investment is often negative (it was in 1990, and in three years during the eighties). Business fixed investment, in turn, is composed of equipment and nonresidential structures. Equipment now makes up over three-quarters of business investment….
Understand the power of compounding. Compound Interest, from our College Topics Guide.
When you borrow or lend money, you pay or receive interest.Compound interestis paid on the original principalandon the accumulated past interest.
The Miracle of Compound Returns, from the Marginal Revolution University “Money Skills” course.
Diversification: How to Spread It Around, at SocialStudiesforKids.com.
Diversification can best be described by the following phrase: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
That means several things, depending on what part of economics we’re discussing. In every case, though, it means to spread out your money or your time or your other resources….
See also: What is Diversification? at BizBasics:
In the News and Examples
David R. Henderson, In Praise of Debt, at Econlib, June 2016.
If I were to put it in Polonius’s terms, I would say it this way: “Botha borrower and a lender be.” That is, at some points in your life, it makes sense to borrow, and at other points, it makes sense to lend. In this article, I focus on borrowing. What follows is my case for debt.
Chris Blattman on Cash, Poverty, and Development, EconTalk podcast, July 21, 2014.
Chris Blattmanof Columbia University talks to EconTalk hostRuss Robertsabout a radical approach to fighting poverty in desperately poor countries: giving cash to aid recipients and allowing them to spend it as they please. Blattman shares his research and cautious optimism about giving cash and discusses how infusions of cash affect growth, educational outcomes, and political behavior (including violence). The conversation concludes with a discussion of the limits of aid and the some of the moral issues facing aid activists and researchers.
A Little History: Primary Sources and References
Harry Markowitz, from theConcise Encyclopedia of Economics
In the early 1950s Markowitz developed portfolio theory, which looks at howinvestmentreturns can be optimized. Economists had long understood the common sense of diversifying a portfolio; the expression “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is certainly not new. But Markowitz showed how to measure the risk of various securities and how to combine them in a portfolio to get the maximum return for a given risk.
Franco Modigliani, from the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics
Franco Modigliani, an American born in Italy, won the 1985 Nobel Prize for two contributions. The first was “his analysis of the behavior of household savers.” In the early fifties Modigliani, trying to improve on Keynes’s consumption function, introduced his “life cycle” model of consumption. The basic idea was common sense, but no less powerful for that reason. Most people, he claimed, want to have a fairly stable level of consumption. If their income is low this year, for example, but expected to be high next year, they do not want to live like paupers this year and princes next. So in high-income years, Modigliani argued, people save. They spend more than their income (dissave) in low-income years. Because income begins low for young adults just starting out, then increases in the middle years, and declines on retirement, said Modigliani, young people borrow to spend more than their income, middle-aged people save a lot, and old people run down their savings….
Advanced Resources
Setting Financial Goals, a Month-by-Month plan from the Smart About Money, the National Endowment for Financial Education.
Can You Beat the Market? from the Marginal Revolution University “Money Skills” course.
Related Topics
Money Management and Budgeting
Financial Markets
Real vs. Nominal
GDP
Human Capital
Risk and Return
I'm an expert in finance and economics with a deep understanding of various concepts related to saving, investing, and financial planning. My knowledge is backed by a comprehensive grasp of economic theories, financial instruments, and practical strategies for wealth management.
Now, let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the provided article:
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Saving vs. Investing: The article distinguishes between saving and investing. Saving involves setting aside money for emergencies or future purchases, aiming for quick access with minimal risk and taxes. On the other hand, investing entails buying assets such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or real estate with the expectation of generating returns. Investments are generally chosen based on long-term goals and can be categorized as income or growth investments.
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Saving from an Economic Perspective: Economists view saving as the act of consuming less in the present to consume more in the future. The analogy used involves an economy with a single commodity (e.g., corn), where saving (not consuming) contributes to the stock of capital. This capital, when invested, leads to future growth.
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Investment in Economics: In economic terms, investment refers to the purchase of durable goods by households, businesses, and governments. Private investment is divided into categories like residential investment, nonresidential or business fixed investment, and inventory investment. Business fixed investment includes equipment and nonresidential structures.
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Compound Interest: The article touches upon the concept of compound interest, emphasizing that it is paid not only on the original principal but also on accumulated past interest. This underscores the power of compounding in both borrowing and lending scenarios.
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Diversification: Diversification is introduced as a risk management strategy, advising not to put all resources in one place. The phrase "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" is used to convey the idea of spreading out money, time, or other resources to mitigate risks.
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Debt and Borrowing: The article briefly mentions the perspective of borrowing and lending, suggesting that there are points in life where it makes sense to borrow. It introduces an article advocating for the benefits of debt in certain situations.
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Contributions of Economic Thinkers: The article references economists Harry Markowitz and Franco Modigliani. Markowitz is credited with developing portfolio theory in the 1950s, optimizing investment returns. Modigliani contributed to the analysis of household savers and introduced the "life cycle" model of consumption, highlighting the relationship between income, saving, and spending at different life stages.
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Advanced Resources: The article provides links to additional resources for setting financial goals, a month-by-month plan for financial education, and a course on money skills covering topics like beating the market.
In conclusion, the article covers fundamental concepts in finance and economics, ranging from basic distinctions between saving and investing to advanced topics such as portfolio theory, diversification, and the life cycle model of consumption.
