Now that we’ve assessed how wealth inequality started and how to improve wealth and saving data, here are some ideas about how to further reduce wealth disparity:
The top 1% savings rate is much higher than both the next 9% and bottom 90% savings rates. One idea that is radical is to encourage long-run savings. The United States government could directly invest in these savings accounts so that they earn great rates of return. The other aspect of this plan would be to have interest in borrowing savings so as to encourage people not to borrow from their savings. Encouraging saving of the bottom 90% would reduce wealth disparity.
Other ideas to reduce wealth disparity include the following:
- Increase progressive income taxation to decrease wealth disparity.
- Increase estate taxes in the United States to decrease inherited wealth
- Increase access to education and health benefits cost controls. Improve minimum wage policies. This will in effect shift power from shareholders to workers.
- Create better laws protecting consumers (such as predatory lending) and increase financial regulation to increase middle class wealth.
- Educate the bottom 90% on how to invest.
- Create an offshore wealth management industry. Such places like the Cayman islands are huge tax havens for businesses. It is unfair for other businesses who pay their taxes fairly.
Reducing indirect wealth ownership along with changing tax optimization behaviors are ways the United States can achieve a more balanced economy.
