And while unemployment claims remain low, layoffs at tech and media companies have prompted unease. Some people, Mr. McCarron said, may not see the point of moving cash that they expect to spend soon anyway.Other factors may also come into play. Some people may be intimidated by the math behind compound interest, so simply seeing a higher annual rate advertised may not be enough to make them take action, said Perry Wright, senior behavioral researcher at Duke University’s Common Cents Lab.In addition, he said, when people are unsure about a decision, they often look to see what others are doing. But unlike observing what neighbors are spending money on — cars, new landscaping — it’s not easy to know where they’re depositing their cash. “Savings is invisible,” Mr. Wright said.“It all adds up to a lot of i …
