Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

When Baby Boomers Move, Family Often Is Reason
Amy Hoak
Wall Street Journal
May 1, 2009

Overview: “One of the most common reasons people ages 55 and older decide to move is to be closer to family and friends, according to an analysis released this week by the National Association of Home Builders and the MetLife Mature Market Institute.”
http://tinyurl.com/ddw6fo

This is Not Your Parent’s Retirement Home
Lisa Fattori
Brantford Expositor
May 1, 2009

Overview: “The discriminating tastes of to-day's aging baby boomers are redefining the model for retirement residences. Affluent, active and used to the finer things in life, this rising demographic is not looking for a room in an institutional setting but rather for comfortable living spaces with high-end finishes and ample amenities -- a home that mirrors the one they live in now.”
http://tinyurl.com/cu3wj7

Lost equity puts boomers' future in doubt
Tom Kelly
Inman News
April 29, 2009

Overview: “Baby boomers -- the largest, healthiest and wealthiest group ever appearing on the U. S. growth landscape -- never met a loan they didn't like. After leveraging appreciation and location in their starter and move-up homes to pay for cars, college tuitions and trips, their home probably holds most of the equity in their lives. According to a new report by Washington, D.C.-based Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), that home is not worth what it used to be.”
http://tinyurl.com/c6u5oq

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Seniors at home in co-housing
Haya El Nasser
USA Today
May 4, 2009

Overview: “The oldest of 79 million Baby Boomers turn 63 this year, and they are "not interested in what their parents had in terms of assisted care, wasting away in a private house or nursing home," says California architect Charles Durrett, author of The Senior Cohousing Handbook.”
http://tinyurl.com/dblmkw

States consider 'Silver Alerts' for missing adults
Stephanie Reitz
The Associated Press
May 4, 2009

Overview: “Now, several states and Congress are considering alert systems to notify the public when a cognitively impaired adult like Drew goes missing or wanders away. Called "Silver Alerts," they are modeled on the Amber Alerts issued to prompt widespread publicity about missing children. As baby boomers age and dementia diagnoses are skyrocketing, 15 states have adopted Silver Alert systems."
http://tinyurl.com/d3b3kt

U.S. Home Prices May Be Lost for a Generation
John F. Wasik
Bloomberg News
May 4, 2009

Overview: "The baby-boomer generation, the largest in American history, will be buying fewer single-family homes. The U.S. is experiencing a 40-year generational peak in consumer spending, one that will lead to “the first and last Depression of our lifetimes,” author Harry Dent predicts in his book “The Great Depression Ahead” (Free Press, 2008).”
http://tinyurl.com/d9hwfp

Motorpool heads cross country to drive Boomer interest
Nicole Zerillo
PR Week
May 1, 2009

Overview: “Behind the wheel of a 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, Motorpool.com president Morgan Murphy is going on a cross-country road trip to promote the launch of his new social networking site for enthusiasts of classic and collector cars.”
http://tinyurl.com/d7qx5s

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Pursuing The Power Of The Baby Boomer
Beina Xu
The Wall Street Journal
May 4, 2009

Overview: “In addition to numbers, baby boomers have power and money, and plenty of buyout firms have been chasing that trend for some time, doing things like investing in health-care companies, for example. Now, one firm is taking a different approach. Wellbridge Capital wants to invest in companies owned by baby boomers who are just beginning to consider retirement.”
http://tinyurl.com/d2balm

Social networking Web sites for boomers and beyond
Jim Miller
Bradenton Herald
May 5, 2009

Overview: “Over the past few years online social networking has become wildly popular, especially among the younger generation — but it’s not just for kids. While the youth-oriented social networking sites MySpace and Facebook get most of the attention, a growing number of online communities have sprung up aimed at Web-savvy baby boomers and beyond.”
http://tinyurl.com/cgxylt

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Caring for ill, elderly has reward — a longer life
Linda Carroll
MSNBC
May 5, 2009

Overview: “Boomers sandwiched between growing children and ailing aging parents often worry that the stress from all that caregiving might shave years off their lives. But it turns out that the opposite may be true — the nurturing they give may be repaid by a longer lifespan, a study shows.”
http://tinyurl.com/cxdgnv

Lost Wealth Won’t Keep 50+ Home Buyers Down for Long
Staff Reports
Nation’s Building News
May 4, 2009

Overview: “Reeling from a sizable decline in wealth as a result of the current downturns in housing and the financial markets, members of the baby boom are in a bit of a holding pattern for now, but will gradually make their way back into the housing market, eventually in a big way, according to panelists at NAHB’s Building for Boomers and Beyond 50+ Housing Symposium in Philadelphia April 27-29.”
http://tinyurl.com/c53hxq

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Caring for ill, elderly has reward — a longer life
Linda Carroll
MSNBC
May 5, 2009

Overview: “Boomers sandwiched between growing children and ailing aging parents often worry that the stress from all that caregiving might shave years off their lives. But it turns out that the opposite may be true — the nurturing they give may be repaid by a longer lifespan, a study shows.”
http://tinyurl.com/cxdgnv

Lost Wealth Won’t Keep 50+ Home Buyers Down for Long
Staff Reports
Nation’s Building News
May 4, 2009

Overview: “Reeling from a sizable decline in wealth as a result of the current downturns in housing and the financial markets, members of the baby boom are in a bit of a holding pattern for now, but will gradually make their way back into the housing market, eventually in a big way, according to panelists at NAHB’s Building for Boomers and Beyond 50+ Housing Symposium in Philadelphia April 27-29.”
http://tinyurl.com/c53hxq

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomers Going Bust
David Ignatius
Washington Post
May 7, 2009

Overview: “People have accused the baby boomers of being whiners almost since we were born. But just wait until we get to retirement age and discover that we don't have nearly enough money to take care of our "golden years." That's going to be the ultimate generational bummer.”
http://tinyurl.com/cdmy87

Baby Boomers turn to blogs to find jobs
Chad Graham
Arizona Republic
May 7, 2009

Overview: “The recession is dropping a growing number into a job market that requires everyone to market themselves through newer and newer Web technology in order to get hired.”
http://tinyurl.com/d452of

Remember how Pepsi tasted in '60s? It's back
Barry Shlachter
McClatchy News Service
May 7, 2009

Overview: “Bowing to consumer trends, two soft drinks with connections to the past were launched last week for a national, but brief, eight-week run.”
http://tinyurl.com/cpz3v6

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Democrats Do Best Among Generation Y and Baby Boomers
Frank Newport
Gallup.com
May 8, 2009

Overview: “Although Democrats currently enjoy a party identification advantage over Republicans among Americans at every age between 18 to 85, the Democrats' greatest advantages come among those in their 20s and baby boomers in their late 40s and 50s.”
http://tinyurl.com/qyduce

Why right-brainers will rule this century
Oprah Winfrey
CNN and Oprah.com
May 8, 2009

Overview: “Baby boomers are going to do something quite spectacular. They say, ‘Sixty's not old. Oh, I've got 25 years left.’ Then they look back 25 years and say, ‘Holy smokes, that sure happened fast. Are the next 25 years going to happen as fast? And if they are, what's my legacy going to be? When am I going to live my best life? What kind of imprint am I going to leave on the world?’” -- Daniel Pink, author of a Whole New Mind
http://tinyurl.com/qe8x4c

AARP highlights plight of uninsured 50-to-64 year olds
O. Kay Henderson
Radio Iowa News
May 8, 2009

Overview: “According to the AARP, 11 percent of Iowans who are over 50 but not yet 65 -- and eligible for Medicare -- are uninsured. That's just over 63,000 middle-aged Iowans who are not covered by insurance for a variety of reasons.”
http://tinyurl.com/rxu76q

You Must Remember This, Again
Nancy DeWolf Smith
The Wall Street Journal
May 8, 2009

Overview: New HBO Alzheimer’s series suggests we’ll see unprecedented Alzheimer’s rates among aging baby boomers, potentially increasing costs of caring for this demographic dramatically.
http://tinyurl.com/c5j85e

By guest blogger Brian Kurth, author of Test-Drive Your Dream Job – A Step-By-Step Guide to Finding and Creating the Work You Love (Hachette, 2008).

Retirement used to be a universally celebrated life transition. Workers who had often worked in the same profession or even the same job for decades were freed from the daily grind and released to a life of leisure.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Debt delays retirement for Canada's boomers –study
Ashleigh Patterson
Reuters
May 8, 2009

Overview: “More than a quarter of Canada's baby boomers believe they'll have to work longer than expected as paying down debt and building up a bigger nest egg become a top priority in the economic downturn, a new survey has found.”
http://tinyurl.com/qufsxt

Desperate ‘baby boomers’ return to work
Sarah O’Connor
Financial Times
May 11, 2009

Overview: “The impending retirement of America’s 78m-strong “baby boomer” generation has caused consternation among policymakers for years. Now the “silver tsunami” may be on hold.”
http://tinyurl.com/p6m5x6

More Boomers Losing Health Coverage
Staff Reports
Consumer Affairs
May 11, 2009

Overview: “A breakdown of the Labor Department report shows the unemployment rate for older workers -- those age 55 and older -- hit an all-time record last month. According to the report, nearly 1.85 million older workers were unemployed in April, an unemployment rate in that group of 6.4 percent. Besides losing their income, AARP says older workers are also losing health insurance coverage, at a time in their lives when they really need it.”
http://tinyurl.com/qgcr4b

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Talkin' 'Bout My Generation
Randall W. Forsyth
Barron’s
May 12, 2009

Overview: “Instead of savings, an entire generation had counted on effortless asset inflation to carry themselves through. As capital gains mounted, the savings rates collapsed, so that Americans were spending more than a dollar for every dollar they earned.”
http://tinyurl.com/r7q37a

Can 'active adults' shake a leg and save the market?
Kay Severinsen
Chicago Sun Times
May 10, 2009

Overview: “As a baby boomer, I knew I was supposed to save the world, but I never expected that we would also be responsible for saving the housing market.”
http://tinyurl.com/pqrx7r

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

For entrepreneurs, boomer market is plentiful
Robert Trigaux
Tampabay.com (St. Petersburg Times)
May 13, 2009

Overview: "Baby boomers, that affluent bulge in the population from the latter 40s to early 60s in age, were front and center at an all-day Florida Boomer Lifestyle conference held Tuesday at Tampa's convention center."
http://tinyurl.com/q7kjx8

Good Housekeeping upping trim size, trimming rate base
Lauren Bell
DMNews
May 12, 2009

Overview: "Baby boomers are the primary target for Good Housekeeping, but slightly younger women, or “trailing boomers,” also are also being targeted now."
http://tinyurl.com/q8cp8y

Affluent Baby Boomers the 'Sweet Spot' in 50+ Housing Market
Staff Reports
Nation’s Building News
May 11, 2009

Overview: "With today's steep recession undermining many previous assumptions about the active adult housing market, John McKeown, president of Conemarra Partners in New York, N.Y., told attendees at NAHB's Building for Boomers and Beyond 50+ Housing Symposium in Philadelphia on April 27-29 that there is a fast-emerging "sweet spot" in the market for those who focus on the most affluent members of the baby boom generation."
http://tinyurl.com/qwuf54

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Gap between Baby Boomers, young minorities grows
Martha T. Moore and Paul Overberg
USA Today
May 14, 2009

Overview: "The USA is developing a stark generation gap between aging white Baby Boomers and a young, growing minority population, according to U.S. Census data released today."
http://tinyurl.com/pos8de

Young children, baby boomers growing in ND
Staff Reports
The Associated Press
May 14, 2009

Overview: "New census numbers show North Dakota is gaining young people while facing a "bubble" of aging baby boomers who could increase demands on health care and other services."
http://tinyurl.com/pcnyqp

Nielsen: Alcohol Beverage Sales Strained
Stacy Straczynski
Brandweek
May 13, 2009

Overview: "The return to spending will most likely come from consumers aged 21-34, who are more likely to bounce back with economic optimism, than the Baby Boomer generation (ages 55 and older). They have experienced and endured similar downturns before and many are now focusing on saving for retirement."
http://tinyurl.com/p67mos

Baby Boomers Earning Less But Enjoying Work More
Staff Reports
City Town Info
May 13, 2009

Overview: "A new study indicates that workers over 50 who found new jobs earned less pay but felt greater job satisfaction."
http://tinyurl.com/qrk4s7

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Exclusive: BlogHer Nabs $7 Million in New Funding
Kara Swisher
Boomtown
May 13, 2009

Overview: “BlogHer, which bills itself as “the community for women who blog,” has gotten $7 million more in a Series C funding, which will bring the total investment in the site to about $15.5 million.”
http://tinyurl.com/ow36js

The Savvy Consumer: Time may be right for a reverse mortgage
Teresa Mcusic
Fort Worth Star Telegram
May 14, 2009

Overview: An “unusual loan structure allows people 62 and older to convert equity in their house to tax-free income without having to sell the home, give up title or take on a new monthly mortgage payment.”
http://tinyurl.com/qluwfk

Medical Tourism on Boom, Despite Downturn
Dr Prem Jagyasi
Express Healthcare Management
May 2009

Overview: “Demographic change is one of the vital drivers of the industry. Baby boomers are driving the growth - one of the biggest market segments for medical tourism.”
http://tinyurl.com/ok2zfy

By now you are probably aware that the baby boomers are online in droves. Women 55 and older are the fastest-growing demographic on Facebook. They are social networking, sharing photos, and even twittering in an effort to stay connected to their friends and loved ones.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

A Grand Plan
Zine Magubane
Boston Globe
May 17, 2009

Overview: “According to the AARP, baby boomers who have become grandparents are abandoning names like Poppa and Granny, which they say make them feel old. They plan to grandparent differently than their own parents did and want names that mirror a more active approach.”
http://tinyurl.com/pgxrfl

Boomer Trends
Jennifer Hiller
San Antonio Express News
May 17, 2009

Overview: “Baby boomers have long driven trends. And even though their nest eggs are showing a few cracks in this economy, they continue to make up a powerful segment of the housing market.”
http://tinyurl.com/qjt6h7

Not Your Grandfather's Retirement
CBS Sunday Morning
May 17, 2009

Overview: “Aging Baby Boomers aren't content spending their post-career years idle and are finding new ways to retire.”
http://tinyurl.com/r4bfd2

Happiness Is ... Being Old, Male and Republican
Robert Roy Britt
Live Science
May 18, 2009

Overview: “Americans grow happier as they age, surveys find. And a new Pew Research Center survey shows the tendency is holding up as the economy tanks.”
http://tinyurl.com/pvnoje

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Best Places To Grow Old
Lauren Sherman
Forbes
May 18, 2009

Overview: "The baby boomers--defined by the Census as those born between 1946 and 1964, and the largest and richest generation of Americans to date--have seen their savings depleted by 20%, or a total of $2 trillion during the current recession ... That means postponed retirement for many of them or, in some cases, settling down in spots far away from the tried-and-true options, such as Florida and Arizona."
http://tinyurl.com/q5bv3s

Internships for Elders
Emily Brandon
U.S. News & World Report
May 18, 2009

Overview: "Laid-off baby boomers are taking internships to find new jobs and transition into second careers."
http://tinyurl.com/qbt4bn

Tech can no longer ignore “Nana” Generation
Brian Dolan
Mobihealthnews
May 18, 2009

Overview: "One of the biggest drivers of mobile healthcare solutions is the aging Baby Boomer generation, which is the group of Americans born between 1946 and 1964. The older members of that group are only two years away from celebrating their 65th birthdays."
http://tinyurl.com/pe569d

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Aging Baby Boomers Treated at Seniors Emergency Center
News Channel 8
May 20, 2009

Overview: “As the Baby Boom generation gets older, there's a growing need for specialized medical care in the United States. One local hospital is offering just that.”
http://tinyurl.com/o7q8vo

Are Baby Boomers Killing Facebook and Twitter?
Robert Strohmeyer
PC World
May 19, 2009

Overview: “It may seem like Facebook and Twitter widen the gaps between Boomers, Gen X-ers, and members of Generation Y, but online social networks may bring us all closer.”
http://tinyurl.com/pb35zq

American Home Furnishings Alliance To Host June Marketing Meeting
Furniture World Magazine
May 18, 2009

Overview: “A marketing forum in June will offer companies practical strategies for navigating this complex business environment. Sponsored by the American Home Furnishings Alliance, the June 17-19 meeting at the Myrtle Beach Marriott at Grande Dunes is titled, “Fast-Moving Consumers, Shifting Strategies: Rules for Marketing in a Down Economy.” It is open to all industry executives who are accountable for marketing investments.”
http://tinyurl.com/p4mkqn

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

The Forgotten Online Market: Older Women
Christina Binkley
Wall Street Journal
May 21, 2009

Overview: “StyleCaster is among a new generation of Web sites that are trying to solve a stubborn problem: how to make fashion-shopping Web sites more than simply online catalogs. Using video and social-networking techniques, Stylecaster, ShopFlick, SmashingDarling and other sites aim to connect us with new indie designers, stylists and each other, all the while presenting items we can buy. … The idea sounds broad and accessible, as online shopping should be. Yet one group may not feel so welcome on StyleCaster: women over 35.”
http://tinyurl.com/ogodhq

Internet 'primary news source' for 28% of female baby boomers
Direct News
May 21, 2009

Overview: A “study, carried out by VibrantNation.com, found that the female baby boomer demographic - which it described as a "powerful, advertiser-friendly block of consumers" - is tapped into new technology.”
http://tinyurl.com/qaw5no

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Integrating the multigenerational workforce
Dianne Durkin
New Hampshire Business Review
May 22, 2009

Overview: Baby Boomers’ “values were shaped by landing on the moon, the Peace Corps, the Vietnam War, Woodstock and the Civil Rights movement. As a group, they’ve always been determined to do better than their parents and provide their children with everything their hearts desire.”
http://tinyurl.com/or3wt5

Temp Giant Robert Half Welcomes Boomers
Aili McConnon
BusinessWeek
May 21, 2009

Overview: “The recession is proving tough for staffing giant Robert Half International. (RHI) Sales plunged by a third in the first quarter and earnings dropped 88% as companies were reluctant to hire temp workers. But the $4.6 billion Menlo Park (Calif.) firm is seeing a way to boost its bottom line once hiring picks up: tapping into a pool of skilled baby boomers looking for work.”
http://tinyurl.com/osmyuf

Housing association recognizes 50-plus communities
Paul Briand
The Examiner
May 21, 2009

Overview: “Communities specifically designed for Baby Boomer and older residents in Salinas, Calif., Bellevue, Wash., and Peachtree City, Ga., are just a few of the many areas recognized by the National Association of Home Builders.”
http://tinyurl.com/pje7ad

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomers Joining Gyms to Put Some Hop in Their Hips
Annie Gowen
The Washington Post
May 26, 2009

Overview: “Locally, gyms have added classes such as ballroom dancing in the past two years to attract seniors, and Sport & Health Club offers one called "Fall Proof," a fall-prevention workout.”
http://tinyurl.com/oexnkj

'Grandcations' target boomers
Dianne Newcomer
The News Star
May 24, 2009

Overview: “Grandcations is actually a quite clever concept that reaches out to the generation considered to be the healthiest, most educated, best informed and probably still the most financially sound in the country right now.”
http://tinyurl.com/ocdrdb

People Magazine Still Has a Bikini Body
Michael Winerip
New York Times
May 22, 2009

Overview: “Most celebrity coverage skews young, but People has attained something unusual, attracting the young (18- to-34-year-olds are its biggest constituency, 38 percent of readership) while holding on to aging boomers (45 to 59 are second, 28 percent of readership). … And so, People is having a boomer year: there have been 10 covers featuring boomers in the first five months of 2009, compared with 11 in all for 2007.”
http://tinyurl.com/p22h6g

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

For baby boomers, geriatric medicine can help put a glow in those golden years
Kate Charles
New York Daily News
May 27, 2009

Overview: Geriatric medicine doctors have turned their attention to aging baby boomers in an effort to help improve life quality as this group ages.
http://tinyurl.com/ps6rug

Boomers rising in web authority
Suzanna Stinnett
The Examiner
May 26, 2009

Overview: “The Baby Boomer Knowledge Center is a new site providing easy access to a wealth of information relevant to the boomer demographic. It includes the “Knowledge [ba2se],” a custom search engine which prioritizes search results based on sites relevant to baby boomers.”
http://tinyurl.com/q2v54x

Slotmaker: baby boomers, seniors still gamble most
Oskar Garcia
The Associated Press
May 24, 2009

Overview: “Baby boomers and seniors made up more than 60 percent of all active gamblers.”
http://tinyurl.com/p47cqq

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Automakers must deal with shifting sands
Erich Merkle
Michigan Business Review
May 28, 2009

Overview: "Shifts in the automotive landscape have come quickly and often. The two big drivers of the speed and rapidity of these shifts are born out of ever-increasing competition and the massive Baby Boom population -- almost 80 million of them. The Boomers, along with intensifying competition, have created an environment that rewards companies which are forward looking, quick to change and innovative."
http://tinyurl.com/p2ps9r

Boomers Choosing New Lifestyles
North American Press Syndicate
May 27, 2009

Overview: "Baby boomers are looking to move to places where they can meet new people, start new hobbies and be more physically and mentally active."
http://tinyurl.com/pxq6rx

Facebook Crosses 60 Million Monthly US Users, But Fewer People Over 55 Coming Back
Inside Facebook
May 26, 2009

Overview: "The growth in US Facebook users over 35 has continued, but at a cooler rate. Today, 18.0 million Americans over 35 are returning to the site monthly, but only 2.2 million of those are over 55 - compared with 2.8 million two months ago."
http://tinyurl.com/ok5mev

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

By the time we got to Woodstock - 40 years ago
Paul Briand
The Examiner
May 28, 2009

Overview: “Woodstock is the music nexus of the Baby Boomer generation. And it's about to celebrate its 40th anniversary. … Woodstock was less performance, more iconic event that will be remembered in every way, shape and form as we approach its anniversary in August.”
http://tinyurl.com/lm44r6

How Investment Losses Affect Retirement Plans
Emily Brandon
U.S. News & World Report
May 28, 2009

Overview: “Most baby boomers plan to cope by staying in the workforce longer. About 52 percent of boomers between ages 50 and 64 have thought about delaying retirement in the past year. Another 16 percent say they will never retire, according to a Pew Research Center telephone survey of 2,969 adults released today.”
http://tinyurl.com/npab5a

Young Car Buyers Challenge Detroit
David Kiley
BusinessWeek
May 27, 2009

Overview: “It's well established that Detroit automakers lost ground in the 1970s and '80s with baby boomers. Rebellious and independent when they were buying their first cars, boomers did not want "their father's Oldsmobile. … The bad news for Detroit is that so far, at least, children of the boomers aren't showing a similar streak of auto-brand independence.”
http://tinyurl.com/n5pmho