消费者行为发生重大变化，美国人竟开始存钱了
与德国和日本相比，美国并不是一个储蓄国，即使在新冠疫情期间，这种属性也很难改变。但有证据表明，美国人确实在改变着他们的生活方式。
在周四举行的《财富》头脑风暴金融活动中，来自Square、股票交易应用Robinhood和数字银行Chime等三家数字金融公司的高管均在报告中称，美国的储蓄和投资显著上升。
Square Capital的负责人杰基·雷塞斯说：“随着经济刺激政策的出台，消费者正在增加相应的资金保障措施。”该公司的研究表明，“消费者行为发生了重大变化。”
与此同时，Chime的首席执行官克里斯·布里特称，近几个月的储蓄余额达到历史最高水平。Robinhood的首席运营官格雷琴·霍华德表示，人们的存款从1200美元飙升至2400美元，从中可以看出许多美国个人与夫妇都在4月13日那周收到了纾困金。
格雷琴·霍华德还指出，与2019年第四季度相比，Robinhood在3月的存款增长了17倍，该平台的大部分交易活动都是买入。其中最受欢迎的是那些在新冠疫情期间遭受重创的航空公司和邮轮运营商的股票。
当然，这些并不代表国家经济呈繁荣景象。本周最新公布的数据显示，随着新冠疫情的蔓延，美国申请失业救济的人数超过4000万人，实际失业率接近24%。此外，美国民众经常光顾食品银行，排队领取食品援助的人数已创下历史纪录。
其他积极的指标，包括股市反弹，也可能是暂时的缓和。Visa旗下的Plaid的首席执行官扎克·佩雷特表示，许多公司正以违约、拖欠租金和其他危机信号等方式来“等待另一只鞋掉下来”。
《财富》活动的参与者预测，这场疫情将促进美国金融基础设施的变革，包括采用非接触式支付系统、接受海外其他类型的金融创新等。
谷歌的支付业务运营官茱莉亚·桑德兰描述了该公司在印度的举措，包括与政府和盖茨基金会等非盈利组织合作，共同建设开放金融基础设施。她表示，这样做可以为印度提供大量新的服务，使印度民众能够以此做任何事情，包括支付电话费、购买黄金，或是了解附近哪家商店有必需品的库存。
这些公司高管均在“金融科技前线”活动上发表了讲话，并一起探讨金融公司在疫情期间可以发挥的作用。（财富中文网）
编译：于佳鑫
与德国和日本相比，美国并不是一个储蓄国，即使在新冠疫情期间，这种属性也很难改变。但有证据表明，美国人确实在改变着他们的生活方式。
在周四举行的《财富》头脑风暴金融活动中，来自Square、股票交易应用Robinhood和数字银行Chime等三家数字金融公司的高管均在报告中称，美国的储蓄和投资显著上升。
Square Capital的负责人杰基·雷塞斯说：“随着经济刺激政策的出台，消费者正在增加相应的资金保障措施。”该公司的研究表明，“消费者行为发生了重大变化。”
与此同时，Chime的首席执行官克里斯·布里特称，近几个月的储蓄余额达到历史最高水平。Robinhood的首席运营官格雷琴·霍华德表示，人们的存款从1200美元飙升至2400美元，从中可以看出许多美国个人与夫妇都在4月13日那周收到了纾困金。
格雷琴·霍华德还指出，与2019年第四季度相比，Robinhood在3月的存款增长了17倍，该平台的大部分交易活动都是买入。其中最受欢迎的是那些在新冠疫情期间遭受重创的航空公司和邮轮运营商的股票。
当然，这些并不代表国家经济呈繁荣景象。本周最新公布的数据显示，随着新冠疫情的蔓延，美国申请失业救济的人数超过4000万人，实际失业率接近24%。此外，美国民众经常光顾食品银行，排队领取食品援助的人数已创下历史纪录。
其他积极的指标，包括股市反弹，也可能是暂时的缓和。Visa旗下的Plaid的首席执行官扎克·佩雷特表示，许多公司正以违约、拖欠租金和其他危机信号等方式来“等待另一只鞋掉下来”。
《财富》活动的参与者预测，这场疫情将促进美国金融基础设施的变革，包括采用非接触式支付系统、接受海外其他类型的金融创新等。
谷歌的支付业务运营官茱莉亚·桑德兰描述了该公司在印度的举措，包括与政府和盖茨基金会等非盈利组织合作，共同建设开放金融基础设施。她表示，这样做可以为印度提供大量新的服务，使印度民众能够以此做任何事情，包括支付电话费、购买黄金，或是了解附近哪家商店有必需品的库存。
这些公司高管均在“金融科技前线”活动上发表了讲话，并一起探讨金融公司在疫情期间可以发挥的作用。（财富中文网）
编译：于佳鑫
The U.S. is not known as a nation of savers compared with the likes of Germany and Japan, and the pandemic would seem an unlikely time for that to change. But there is evidence to suggest Americans are indeed changing their ways.
At a virtual Fortune Brainstorm Finance event on Thursday, executives from three digital finance companies—Square, stock buying app Robinhood, and digital bank Chime—all reported a marked uptick in saving and investing.
“As stimulus checks come in, consumers are increasing their security blanket,” said Jackie Reses, head of Square Capital, noting that the company’s research suggested an “important change in consumer behavior.”
Chime CEO Chris Britt, meanwhile, reported that savings balances in recent months had reached an all-time high. And Gretchen Howard, COO of Robinhood, described a spike in deposits of $1,200 to $2,400—reflecting the amount in stimulus many individuals and couples received—during the week of April 13.
Howard also noted a 17-fold increase in deposits at Robinhood in March compared with the fourth quarter of 2019, and said much of the trading activity on the platform consisted of buying. Among the most popular stocks were those of airlines and cruise operators, which have been battered during the pandemic—a phenomenon Howard attributed to people who sought to “buy the dip.”
None of this reflects widespread prosperity, of course. New figures released this week revealed that over 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment during the pandemic, and that the real U.S. jobless rate is close to 24%. While some are putting part of their unemployment checks into savings—as Britt of Chime attested—Americans are also lining up at food banks in record numbers.
Other positive metrics, including the rebound of the stock market, may also reflect a temporary reprieve. Zach Perret, CEO of Visa-owned Plaid, which provides digital payment connections to banks, said many companies are “waiting for the other shoe to drop” in the form of elevated defaults, missed rent payments, and other signals of economic distress.
On a broader level, the participants at the Fortune event predicted the pandemic will spur a broader transformation of U.S. financial infrastructure. This will include Americans’ coming to adopt the contactless payment systems used in other countries—and, perhaps, an openness to embracing other types of financial innovation found overseas.
Julia Sunderland, payments business operations officer at Google, described the company’s initiatives in India, which have involved collaborations with the government and nonprofits like the Gates Foundation to build open source financial infrastructure. The result, she said, has been a wealth of new services that have enabled Indians to do everything from pay phone bills to buy gold to learn which nearby stores have essential supplies in stock.
The executives spoke at “Fintech on the Front Lines,” the inaugural event in what will be an ongoing series exploring the role of financial companies during the pandemic.
