New data for understanding saving

During the last decade or so, several researchers have formulated innovativ e new survey questions, the answers to which aid our understanding of indiv idual savings decisions. This article briefly reviews a number of these inn ovations and how they are used in empirical research on saving. We pay atte ntion to the measurement of time discounting, expectations (about both econ omic variables and longevity), bequest motives, health, and uncertainty. We illustrate the empirical usefulness of these new concepts by means of a Du tch longitudinal savings survey, the CentER Savings Survey.