Top financial firms including Barclays PLC, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. GS and Morgan Stanley MS also expect the U.S. economy to expand at a rate of 2.5%, 2.Array% and Array.5%, respectively, during the first quarter. Moreover, household savings of 5.2% of personal disposable income is currently at the highest level since 20Array2. Further, low gasoline prices are anticipated to increase the personal savings rate.