Older Baby Boomers
“I believe anything is possible if you work hard enough”

Older Baby Boomers have a median age of 70, are predominantly Caucasian, likely to live in the suburbs, to be married, and to have grandchildren for whom they enjoy buying educational products and services.

Many of the personality traits of Older Boomers were built upon the idealism and unrest of the 1960’s, resulting in anti-war and anti-establishment attitudes, a desire to be actively involved in causes, a questioning of the status quo, a desire to make a difference in the world, an approval of social transformation, and a dislike of conformity and rules.

Despite their anti-establishment attitudes, Older Boomers are firm believers in the American Dream and its promise that “anything is possible if you work hard enough.” This belief has caused them to be extremely hard workers and to define themselves by their jobs, often to the detriment of their personal and family lives.  In recent years, Older Boomers have begun questioning their lifelong emphasis on “all work and no play” and to communicate to those younger workers whom they mentor that, while it is important to “pay your dues” in a job and work hard, it also is important to find a work/life balance.

As they approach and embark on retirement, Older Boomers are feeling financially constrained, in part because of investment losses experienced during the Great Recession and in part because of a lifetime of poor financial management that spent “now” and worried about consequences later.  Their financial concerns have caused them to consider postponing retirement, if they are not retired already, or to work part-time while in retirement.  These concerns also are reflected in their opposition to legislation that would adversely impact their taxes or encroach on entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.

Older Boomers view religion as an important part of their lives, seeing it as a source of moral guidance and expressing their faith through charitable contributions and interpersonal ethics rather than through regular church attendance.

Older Boomers are frequent viewers of broadcast TV and depend on it for their news and entertainment.  That being said, they also have adapted to newer technologies and innovations, spending approximately 19 hours a week online to view social media sites, find and purchase products, stay up-to-date about  product promotions and deals, book leisure travel, donate to charities, and research health and wellness information.  They are comfortable shopping and making purchases online and will frequently research a product before they buy it by watching online videos, reading online reviews, and visiting a company’s website.