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[B9]Baby Boomers Generation X

by Raymond Lee, Ray

Prior to the second world war, there was a reluctance to have children. The Great Depression took a toll on family finances and frankly, most adults were reluctant to bring new children into the world in those circumstances. The end of World War II changed the outlook and beginning in 1946, there was a true boom in births.

There may be some disagreement over the exact years of the Baby Boom, but most agree on the years between 1946 and 1964 as the criteria for being called a ?Boomer.? If the Vietnam War was a defining period in this generation, then the boom could end in 1955 as those born after that year would not have been old enough to be drafted and serve in the battle.

Regardless of the time frame, those born during the Baby Boomer years have seen and participated in many changes. Among them, their desire to do things their way. It is not your father's retirement age that is rapidly zeroing in on the largest segment of the world's population. Many of today's baby boomers want little to do with the idea of retiring into oblivion. They want to continue to effect changes, as they did their entire working life.

From the war protests of the 1960's and the music migration of the 1950's, this group experimented and experienced many things in their lives and if they didn't understand many of the views, they simply created new views. They are not a generation to take things lying down.

Today's medical research may be a key role in their attitudes. With today's medical technology, boomers are living longer and they are not willing to simply accept aging as a natural part of growing older. They want their golden years to represent more than the number of candles on their birthday cake. They want to be able to walk to the table and blow them out without any help from the grandkids.

The baby boomer generation is sometimes referred to as the sandwich generation. Taking care of elderly parents while still having their own children in the nest, sandwiched between the two age groups.

They understand what it takes to remain healthy. Not merely going for botox treatments or nip and tuck surgery. They want to feel good from the inside while looking good from the outside. Staying healthy has them looking for supplements that can replace many of the natural products that age may be slow to replace.

They represent a self-defining generation, the first group raised on television allowing boomers from different geographic locations to watch the same programs at the same time. The watched the British invasion of music on the same programs and organized groups against the war. They are also reluctant to discuss death and dying and do not always believe this to be a reality of life.

One of the key contributions of the baby boomer generation is the desire for individual freedoms. Boomers want the freedom to choose how they will live, where they will live and for how long they will live. They take their choices seriously and continue to find new ways to live healthier and happier.

Unless you've been in a dimly lit cavern for the past several decades, you know that "Baby Boomers" is the collective name given to the 76 million people born in the United States between the end of World War II and 1964. Often described as the largest, most knowledgeable and most fiscally influential demographic group in American history, their motto could very well be: Where does a 750-pound gorilla sit? Anywhere it wants!

Getting to Know Them

Dubbed the "Me Generation" for their nonstop quest for self-gratification, many "Boomers" pride themselves on their counterculture values, for having led movements for social rights and environmental awareness. However, marketers should take note…

• The cultural rift opened by the Vietnam War between Boomers who answered the call and those who avoided military service, or thought service dishonorable, has never completely closed.

• Significant medical and scientific breakthroughs beginning in the 1940s have allowed Boomers to be the first Americans to take responsibility for being healthy, not just avoiding disease; to be fit, in shape, and to live longer...in effect, taking charge of their lives in ways earlier generations could never imagine.

• Boomers value simplicity and like being in control. They view maintaining fitness and good health as manifestations of their ability to affect everything going on around them. For many, for example, the most dreaded aspect of a serious illness is as much being unable to think clearly or exercise as much as they want, as it is losing the ability to earn income.

• Women may have first come into their own in this country as a result of World War II, but it was the demographic clout of fiercely independent Baby Boomer women, combined with their widespread entry into the workplace, that has lead to their increasingly controlling the purse strings of American households and businesses.

• Out of necessity or otherwise, many Boomers of both the popular genders will continue working well-past retirement age. In truth, if all the Boomers who begin turning 65 in 2011 retire on schedule, the effect on national productivity, not to mention the financial markets, will be enormous. As a result, policies that encourage Boomers to remain in the labor force will be a necessity, but you can bet Boomers will find a way to make it all seem trendy (just as they did when they invented the youth culture of the '60s).

• Through all this, the adult children of Baby Boomers will continue to be an important part of their parents' lives. Because Boomers had children later in life than previous generations, some of these children will still be in school and living at home even as their middle-age parents are gearing up second or third careers or just now realizing they may soon have their own parents to care for.

What This Means to You?

As a result of these and other factors, Baby Boomers' financial obligations will also be long-lived, and so, even now, staying on top of their long-term financial security is (or should be) a very high priority. Because of their economic clout, Boomers will always be an attractive marketplace.

Marketers have focused their efforts on Boomers for decades. "One of the surest ways to make sure a product prospers is to wait until Baby Boomers enter that stage of their lives," said Brad Edmondson, senior writer for American Demographics magazine.

Younger Boomers are still in their prime home buying and family-starting years. Yet according to LIMRA, this is a generation where life insurance has not been on their radar screens. Similarly, until recently most Boomers also were well behind the retirement planning curve.

Let's see why…

The children of the '60s married and had children later in life--but many of these marriages didn't take, and second families and weekend visitation privileges became unhappy institutions for this generation. Add the effects of corporate mergers and downsizing, the need to support elderly parents, and the Boomers' mistaken belief that they could keep spending while meeting other financial goals...it's little wonder so many found themselves with credit problems and got a late start on retirement savings.

According to a report published by the Investment Company Institute: "Baby Boomers have done less financial planning for their future than did the previous generation. Studies show that despite a large number of two-income households and a higher per-capita income, they have a lower savings rate than their parents.

"More than half of the Boomers surveyed said they did not have enough money to save regularly," according the report, which was published on the Web site of financial planning firm, Waddell &Reed, "while two-thirds felt they could not invest for the long term because of the need for immediate access to their money."

At the same time, Boomers are confident they can keep earning income later in life, either by postponing retirement, launching new careers or starting homegrown businesses. Ironically, though, according to another study, Boomers still receive as much as 10% of their wealth from living parents.

Millions of Boomers began turning 50 in 1996, but you can still market to them as though they were still in their 30s or 40s. This generation never has wanted to be like their parents, and will always be young in their minds. Boomers may have been careless with money in the past, but you can help by giving them another chance to achieve personal financial security.

Your message to this generation: It's never too late, but the sooner you start, the more you can do.

Want More? Send questions and comments to w.willard3@knology.net.

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Both Raymond Lee & Bill Willard are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Raymond Lee has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet, Shoes and Heart Conditions. Raymond Lee is a freelance writer and a member of the Baby Boomer generation. He researches and writes about the wants, desires and troubles of the largest group of citizens at. Raymond Lee's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.

Bill Willard has sinced written about articles on various topics from Aging, Generation Y and Finances. . Bill Willard's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.