In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to teach our 12- and 13-year-olds about condoms. In a perfect world, we'd also eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, exercise six times a week, purchase only what we could afford, go to a good college, marry wisely and stay married for life. We could do away with beta-blockers and statins, debt counselors and divorce lawyers. Fast-food joints would go out of business, which would be just as well because everyone would be overqualified to work there.
Highland Park, Mich., is the last place you'd expect to find more people saving money these days. One-third of the residents live below the poverty line, and everyone sees the blight of vacant homes, abandoned furniture and dumped tires. It seems like a ridiculous place to launch an experiment to turn nonsavers into regular savers.