并
非只有在美国系列电视节目《贵妇的真实生活》(Real Housewives)中，人们才过着大肆借贷、挥霍无边的生活。虽然经济危机撂倒了很多债台高筑的有钱人，但仍有很多富豪为维持自己的生活方式而继续举债。
Everett Collection
《贵妇的真实生活》(Real Housewives)的演员Teresa Giudice
文章说：大型银行、投资公司、律师事务所和会计师事务所都知道，给最好的员工戴上"金手铐"对公司来说是有利可图的事。较之无债一身轻的员工，这些借贷过度、负债累累的"工资奴隶"工作起来会更拼命，加班时间更长，受雇于一家公司的时间也更长。
里萨兹还说，借贷过度的员工一般不会轻易辞职，去刚刚起步的新公司或规模较小、但能让自己有更多时间照顾家庭的竞争对手那里去工作。
从某种程度上来说，的确是这样。但有钱人并不需要雇主来鼓励自己增加开支，因为有关财富和消费的大文化环境就在鼓励他们这样做。据穆迪分析(Moody's Analytics)的统计，占美国总人口5%的最高收入人群消费支出占全国消费支出的比例是36%。更让人难以置信的是，这一群体(2008年平均收入34.2万美元)的储蓄率全国最低，只有1.4%，而其他95%的美国人储蓄率在8%以上。
这意味着年收入超过30万美元的人所攒的钱还不及占总人口40%的最低收入群体积蓄的五分之一。
没错，富豪和高收入者当中，也有很多勤俭节约、举止平民化的百万富翁。但数据显示，金融危机和经济衰退几乎没有影响富豪高负债的生活方式。
你觉得高收入人群是通过举债来维持自己的生活方式吗？
Robert Frank
（本文版权归道琼斯公司所有，未经许可不得翻译或转载。）
It isn't just the 'Real Housewives' who are over-leveraged and living large. Even after the economic crisis mowed down many of the indebted rich, the wealthy continue to borrow to support their lifestyles.
In a column in the Washington Post, market strategist Barry Ritholtz said many of today's bankers, lawyers and doctors have become so dependent on their ever-increasing salaries that they become slaves to their jobs.
'The big banks, investment shops, law firms and accountants have learned how profitable it is to have 'golden handcuffs' on their best employees. These highly-leveraged, debt-laden wage slaves will work harder, put in longer hours and stay with the firm longer than those debt-free workers.'
He added that 'overleveraged employees do not leave to work at a new start-up or a smaller, more family friendly competitor.'
This is true to an extent. But the wealthy don't need their companies to encourage spending-the larger culture of wealth and spending does it for them. According to data from Moody's Analytics, the top earning 5% of Americans now account for 36% of consumer outlays. More incredible, this group (with an average income of $342,000 in 2008) have the lowest savings rate in the country: 1.4% compared with more than 8% for the rest of the population.
That means that people earning more than $300,000 a year save less than one fifth as much as the bottom 40% of earners.
Yes, there are plenty of thrifty 'Millionaires Next Door' among the wealthy and high-earners. But the statistics suggest that the financial crisis and recession has barely affected the highly leveraged lifestyles of the wealthy.
Do you think today's high-earners use leverage to support their lifestyle?
Robert Frank
In a column in the Washington Post, market strategist Barry Ritholtz said many of today's bankers, lawyers and doctors have become so dependent on their ever-increasing salaries that they become slaves to their jobs.
'The big banks, investment shops, law firms and accountants have learned how profitable it is to have 'golden handcuffs' on their best employees. These highly-leveraged, debt-laden wage slaves will work harder, put in longer hours and stay with the firm longer than those debt-free workers.'
He added that 'overleveraged employees do not leave to work at a new start-up or a smaller, more family friendly competitor.'
This is true to an extent. But the wealthy don't need their companies to encourage spending-the larger culture of wealth and spending does it for them. According to data from Moody's Analytics, the top earning 5% of Americans now account for 36% of consumer outlays. More incredible, this group (with an average income of $342,000 in 2008) have the lowest savings rate in the country: 1.4% compared with more than 8% for the rest of the population.
That means that people earning more than $300,000 a year save less than one fifth as much as the bottom 40% of earners.
Yes, there are plenty of thrifty 'Millionaires Next Door' among the wealthy and high-earners. But the statistics suggest that the financial crisis and recession has barely affected the highly leveraged lifestyles of the wealthy.
Do you think today's high-earners use leverage to support their lifestyle?
Robert Frank
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