More Ugly Economics, Ugly Income

from Zero Hedge:

And another ugly economic data point. June personal income was just released at 0.1%, on expectations of 0.2%, and down from a revised 0.2% (previously 0.3%). Personal spending was far worse than expected, coming at -0.2%, down from a revised 0.1%, and missing expectations of 0.0%. PCE Core was the last metric missing, coming at 0.1%, down from 0.2%, down from a downwardly revised 0.2%. Just as importantly, as in the case of GDP, there were major downward historical revisions: "Personal income was revised up $69.1 billion, or 0.6 percent, for 2008; was revised down $244.7 billion, or 2.0 percent, for 2009; and was revised down $167.5 billion, or 1.3 percent, for 2010. .. For 2009, downward revisions to personal interest income, to personal dividend income, and to nonfarm proprietors’ income were partly offset by upward revisions to rental income of persons and to farm proprietors’ income.  For 2010, downward revisions to personal   interest income, to nonfarm proprietors’ income, to supplements to wages and salaries, and to personal current transfer receipts were partly offset by upward revisions to rental income of persons, to wages and salaries, and to farm proprietors’ income." In other words, the "rental income" that offset downward income revisions came exclusively from the $50-100 billion squatters' rent annually "generated" from homeowners not paying their mortgages. End result: a surge in the savings rate to 5.4% from 5.0%, the highest since March 2011, as consumers retrench across the board.