The trillions in excess personal savings built up in the pandemic are beginning to vanish amid high inflation, according to Federal Reserve economists. The monthly saving rate fell to a 15-year low in 2022. It started a recovery in 2023, but remains well below long-term trends. Despite this slowdown in saving, consumer spending has remained robust, keeping the U.S. from recession. “Something like $2 [trillion] to $2.5 trillion above what we would have otherwise expected were saved by American households,” said Curt Long, chief economist at the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions. Collectively, Americans have trillions in excess savings compared with expectations leading up to the pandemic, according to Federal Reserve economists. Watch the video above to learn about how the personal savings rate affects you and the wider economy. Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction 01:26 — Budgets 02:40 — The personal saving rate 05:33 — Recession? 07:48 — Ways of saving Produced by: Carlos Waters Edited by: Nora Rappaport Animation: Jason Reginato Supervising Producer: Lindsey Jacobson Additional Footage: Getty Images Additional Sources: Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, U.S. Bank » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more. Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: https://www.cnbc.com/ Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC Follow CNBC News on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC #CNBC Where Did Americans’ Savings Go?