Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Mississippi's still fattest but Alabama closing in
Lauren Neergaard
Associated Press
July 1, 2009

Overview: Reports reveal that in every state, the rate of obesity is higher among 55- to 64-year-olds — the oldest boomers — than among today's 65-and-beyond.
http://tinyurl.com/kk75yp

Baby Boomer tech savvy lacking?
Paul Briand
The Examiner
July 1, 2009

Overviews: Baby Boomers and older Americans seem to have a bit of a love/hate relationship with technology. While there is certainly a growing trend of online use by older users, some just aren't happy with the experience.
http://tinyurl.com/n9xyjq

Let Gen Y Teach You Tech
Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Laura Sherbin and Karen Sumberg
Business Week
June 29, 2009

Overview: Boomers are looking to learn from the Ys: 88% see the Ys as tech-savvy and 40% say they have already asked their younger co-workers to teach them about iTunes, text-messaging and social networks.
http://tinyurl.com/lehn7s

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

10 best places for baby boomers to start business like Arlington, Round Rock, Fort Collins, Madison
Emily Brandon
New York Daily News
July 2, 2009

Overview: “Contrary to the stereotype of 20-somethings starting Web-based businesses in their basements, it's actually the baby boomers who best embody the entrepreneurial spirit.”
http://tinyurl.com/n6cgab

"Boomeritis" hits aging athletes
Anne Harding
Reuters
July 2, 2009

Overview: "Orthopedic surgeons are seeing a "tidal wave" of 45- to 64-year-olds suffering from exercise-related injuries they've dubbed "boomeritis,"
http://tinyurl.com/nnyles

Baby Boomer Businesses are Booming
Emily Brandon
U.S. News & World Report
July 1, 2009

Overview: “Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 have had a higher rate of entrepreneurial activity than those age 20 to 34 in every year between 1996 and 2007, according to a recent study by the Kauffman Foundation.”
http://tinyurl.com/mu35vj

Boomers Leveraging Home Equity For Retirement
Jack Loechner
Media Post Blog
June 30, 2009

Overview: A study finds that 35% of older Americans see their homes not just as places to live, but also as collateral for a loan.
http://tinyurl.com/l6gctq

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Age discrimination a growing Boomer concern
Paul Briand
The Examiner
July 6, 2009

Overview: The experience and work ethic that Baby Boomers bring to the table as an asset are not enough, in many cases, to overcome what has become a barrier -- age.
http://tinyurl.com/n5chod

Why Are Young Workers Less Engaged Today?
Daryl C. Hannah
Diversity Inc Magazine Online
July 6, 2009

Overview: Members of Generation Y--workers ages 26 and younger--reported the greatest decrease in engagement, while engagement remained virtually unchanged for baby boomers and older (workers older than 43).
http://tinyurl.com/nlpn4u

Don't pay a price for your life crisis
Dan Kadlec
CNN Money
July 6, 2009

Overview: A recent AARP Financial survey found that 63% of folks past age 50 have lived through a major trauma - job loss, divorce, a spouse's death.
http://tinyurl.com/lk8tpn

States seek tests for older drivers
Larry Copeland
USA Today
July 6, 2009

Overview: A looming "gray wave" of Baby Boomers expected on the nation's highways over the next two decades has prompted states to launch programs aimed at allowing seniors to keep driving as long as they can without endangering themselves or others.
http://tinyurl.com/o5242p

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

The Future Of Luxury Brands
Brent Green
Engage Boomers Web log
July 6, 2009

Overview: Boomers view discretionary purchases from an emerging framework. They are seeking more than value, where a product's bundle of tangible and intangible attributes reach an optimum balance with price.
http://tinyurl.com/ntp278

Ask an Expert: Boomers are a once in a lifetime opportunity
Steve Strauss
USA Today
July 7, 2009

Overview: Like it or not, the Boomers have been at the forefront of a variety of important issues and events: Vietnam, the sexual revolution, civil rights, the self-awareness movement of the '70s and the health craze of the '80s, to name a few. These are people who will always see themselves as open-minded and young. Willing to try out new ideas, the Boomers are a creative entrepreneur's dream.
http://tinyurl.com/km6jwr

Baby Boomers postponing health care
Paul Briand
Examiner
July 7, 2009

Overview: As national policy makers continue to debate the future of health care in this country, for some Baby Boomers (and Gen Xers) it can't come fast enough.
http://tinyurl.com/lxm6zu

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Marketers Would Do Well To Target Boomer Men
Aaron Baar
Marketing Daily
July 8, 2009

Overview: According to a recent survey, 40% of men over the age of 50 said they are not feeling increased stress because of the economy, compared with 30% of women in the same age group.
http://tinyurl.com/nxdzdu

Unemployment worsens for Baby Boomers
Paul Briand
Examiner
July 8, 2009

Overview: For Baby Boomers and others age 55 and older, unemployment is occurring at a faster rate.
http://tinyurl.com/ng7zv2

Recoup your bear market losses
Walter Updegrave
CNN Money
July 8, 2009

Overview: While conventional wisdom says that workers in their twenties and thirties can easily recoup their bear market losses, baby boomers in their forties and fifties aren't viewed as being so lucky.
http://tinyurl.com/ktyk8j

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Speaking to Generation Nexus
Ian Shapira
Washington Post
July 9, 2009

Overview: Anne Loehr is teaching 20 executives, mainly baby boomers, how to crack one of society's most vexing workplace problems -- how to deal with their youngest employees or clients.
http://tinyurl.com/ng9hxw

Caffeine seen as possible Alzheimer deterrent
Paul Briand
Examiner
July 9, 2009

Overview: A new study should interest aging baby boomers as it suggests coffee can actually reduce the plaque that collects in the brain and is primarily responsible for the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
http://tinyurl.com/lz6aph

Frenemy, locavore among new words in Webster's
Russell Contreras
Associated Press
July 9, 2009

Overview: A dictionary publisher reveals many of this year's new words are tied to changes in technology, increasing environmental awareness and aging baby boomers' concerns about their health and have become part of the general lexicon.
http://tinyurl.com/mf8nxt

How Dr. Z plans to fix Mercedes
Peter Gumbel
FORTUNE Global 500
July 9, 2009

Overview: Mercedes to launch a new low- priced vehicle aimed at younger fashion-conscious buyers who carmakers hope will replace the aging baby boomers who have been Mercedes' core consumers.
http://tinyurl.com/mohsmg

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

ANNOUNCEMENT- In light of widespread layoffs, a significant spike in age discrimination charges, threats to employee benefits, and controversial recent court decisions, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a public hearing Wednesday, July 15, 2009, at 10 a.m. (Eastern Time), at agency headquarters, 131 M St, NE, Washington, DC., where expert panelists will discuss age discrimination in employment. Additional information about the hearing, when available, will be posted at http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/meetings/index.html

Baby Boomers To Kids: Kiss Your Inheritance Goodbye
Brett Arends
The Wall Street Journal
July 10, 2009

Overview: Thanks to the financial crisis many people will have to reconsider the legacy Baby Boomers leave behind.
http://tinyurl.com/kwmu36

The Hidden Costs of Workaholism
Ray B. Williams
National Post
July 10, 2009

Overview: There are no typical profiles of workaholics however; Baby Boomers are more susceptible to being them than Generation Y workers.
http://tinyurl.com/nzsa99

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

ANNOUNCEMENT- In light of widespread layoffs, a significant spike in age discrimination charges, threats to employee benefits, and controversial recent court decisions, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a public hearing Wednesday, July 15, 2009, at 10 a.m. (Eastern Time), at agency headquarters, 131 M St, NE, Washington, DC., where expert panelists will discuss age discrimination in employment. Additional information about the hearing, when available, will be posted at http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/meetings/index.html

Boomers, consider buddying with elders
Kathy Hyde
The News Journal
July 13, 2009

Overview: Although many older adults are able to remain active and engaged well into their 80s and beyond these days, many of the "oldest old" are at a much greater risk of isolation and loneliness.
http://tinyurl.com/kw5ljg

Generation Xers Are Not Like Baby Boomers
Ray Williams
The National Post
July 13, 2009

Overview: Generation Xers appear to be unhappy in today's workplace and it has much to do with employers and executives treating them like Baby Boomers, the current dominant generation.
http://tinyurl.com/lghxn4

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

ANNOUNCEMENT- In light of widespread layoffs, a significant spike in age discrimination charges, threats to employee benefits, and controversial recent court decisions, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a public hearing Wednesday, July 15, 2009, at 10 a.m. (Eastern Time), at agency headquarters, 131 M St, NE, Washington, DC., where expert panelists will discuss age discrimination in employment. Additional information about the hearing, when available, will be posted at http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/meetings/index.html

Baby Boomer retirements held in check
Paul Briand
Examiner
July 14, 2009

Overview: Compared to two years ago, Baby Boomers' confidence in their retirement security is in the tank.
http://tinyurl.com/na6pmj

Getting children back to the great outdoors
Richard Louv
Times Online
July 14, 2009

Overview: Baby boomers claim their childhood experiences were more fulfilling than those of children today.
http://tinyurl.com/m7jyh7

Thinking Ahead: Can't Be Done
Brent Bouchez
Media Post
July 13, 2009

Overview: In the never-ending battle to stay "current" with the coveted 18-34 markets, general agencies grow younger and younger each year while the boomer "experts" have been replaced with Gen Y experts followed by Gen X experts.
http://tinyurl.com/l6mjrz

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

ANNOUNCEMENT- In light of widespread layoffs, a significant spike in age discrimination charges, threats to employee benefits, and controversial recent court decisions, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will hold a public hearing Wednesday, July 15, 2009, at 10 a.m. (Eastern Time), at agency headquarters, 131 M St, NE, Washington, DC., where expert panelists will discuss age discrimination in employment. Additional information about the hearing, when available, will be posted at http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/meetings/index.html

Casey Kasem signs off as voice of Baby Boomer radio
Paul Briand
Examiner
July 15, 2009

Overview: Kasem signed off on July 4 from hosting the show that counted down from No. 40 the top singles from so many of the musicians that made up the Baby Boomer soundtrack.
http://tinyurl.com/lok2qc

Turning Out The Lights: Baby-Boomer Social Network TeeBeeDee
Tomio Geron
Wall Street Journal
July 14, 2009

Overview: TeeBeeDee Inc. has officially turned off its Web site that acted as a social network for people over age 40, and will be added to the growing list of this year’s failed venture-backed start-ups.
http://tinyurl.com/n73yof

Can GM's New Models Woo Back Buyers?
Joseph R. Szczesny
Time
July 15, 2009

Overview: With a muscular retro appearance, the Camaro plays on the baby-boomer generation's insatiable appetite for nostalgia.
http://tinyurl.com/npuwn4

Woodstock at 40: Celebrate fest's B-day with books, concerts & new film
Jonathan Takiff
Philadelphia Daily News
July 14, 2009

Overview: This surge of oversized shows served as a coming of age and coming together for the just-emerging baby boomer generation that would embrace its new stars as countercultural heroes.
http://tinyurl.com/nln57q

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Generations 101: What is a Baby Boomer?
Paul Briand
Examiner
July 16, 2009

Overview: The discussion of whom or what is a Baby Boomer often has less to do with age and more to do with one's state of mind as part of aging.
http://tinyurl.com/m9qn8h

Weighing Price and Value When Picking a College
Sue Shellenbarger
Wall Street Journal
July 16, 2009

Overview: When choosing colleges consumers have been complicit, largely because of the baby-boomer notion that parents should give it all up for the kids. In a May 2008 survey of 720 parents of college students by Gallup and Sallie Mae, a student-loan company, 46% said they had never, at any point, ruled out any colleges for their kids based on costs.
http://tinyurl.com/ndpggc

EEOC Hearing Highlights “Devastation Impact” of Age Discrimination
Justine Lisser
EEOC's Washington Office of Communications
July, 15, 2009

Overview: The EEOC held a public hearing on recent developments under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), including the effect on older workers of wide spread layoffs, threats to employee benefits, and controversial recent court decisions.
http://tinyurl.com/ng857e

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

The future of housing for Baby Boomers?
Paul Briand
The Examiner
July 17, 2009

Overview: Both individuals and couples will determine a way to comfortably retire and age in place.
http://tinyurl.com/lht3u5

Harley-Davidson hit by layoffs
Randolph Heaster
Joyce Smith
Kansas City Star
July 17, 2009

Overview: Harley faces a special problem: Its main customer base is baby boomers, a group spending less in the economic downturn.
http://tinyurl.com/lgt9m8

Helping the Elderly Keep Their Driving Skills
Tanya Mohn
New York Times
July 17, 2009

Overview: The software, DriveSharp, released in partnership with Posit Science, a provider of brain fitness programs, is intended to help Baby Boomers retrain their brains and delay the impact of aging.
http://tinyurl.com/mpe453

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

The Age Of Responsible Consumerism
Matt Thornhill
Engage Boomers Web log
July 20, 2009

Overview: “The generation that put the mass into consumption is now at the stage of life where people naturally shift focus from the material to the ethereal. What's fascinating (or worrisome, if you're in a retail or consumer-products business) is that the impact of this shift on America's consumption-driven economy is just beginning.”
http://tinyurl.com/m7bgyw

Digital Love
Ellen McCarthy
The Washington Post
July 19, 2009

Overview: “By 2007, the over-50 set had become the fastest-growing group of subscribers for online dating companies, and double-digit growth has continued since, according to industry watchers.”
http://tinyurl.com/mb3g9s

The orphaning of baby boomers
Robin Cain
The Examiner
July 18, 2009

Overview: “Baby boomer’s parents, now in their late 70’s, 80’s or older, are getting sick and dying. The ones who comforted us as sick kids, insisted meals were to be eaten as a family – these people are disappearing right before our eyes.”
http://tinyurl.com/nuzj4r

Walter Cronkite: Baby boomers grew up hearing comforting voice of 'the most trusted man in America'
Grand Rapids Press
July 17, 2009

Overview: “Walter Cronkite, anchor of CBS Evening News from 1962 to 1981, will be remembered by baby boomers as ‘the most trusted man in America.’”
http://tinyurl.com/l9cuxy

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Old age: Blessings, curses
USA Today Web log
July 21, 2009

Overview: “For energetic Baby Boomers crossing the line into retirement, the prospect of years more to enjoy life holds potential delights. AARP's magazine for over-50s regularly highlights the amazing potential and feats — skydiving, anyone? — filling the ever-extending retirement years of many.”
http://tinyurl.com/np7wao

100-year-olds' club is starting to get crowded
The Associated Press
July 20, 2009

Overview: “The number of centenarians already has jumped from an estimated few thousand in 1950 to more than 340,000 worldwide today, with the highest concentrations in the U.S. and Japan, according to the latest Census Bureau figures and a report being released Monday by the National Institute on Aging.”
http://tinyurl.com/nkf7ow

Many Baby Boomers Concerned About Retirement Money
CBS News
July 20, 2009

Overview: “Due largely to a somewhat unexpected financial crisis, many baby boomers will be forced to revisit their retirement plans and end up leaving nothing to their kids.”
http://tinyurl.com/m5gahj

By guest blogger Christine Owens, a senior associate at BCC & Associates and adjunct professor at Columbia University, teaching in the graduate program of Non-Profit Management.

Boomers make up approximately 25% of the population of the United States -- almost equal to the number of members of Generation Y. So, we know they have influence: they have a greater percent of the market share, they hold a greater portion of total income, and have a louder voice in decision making.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Baby boomers adopting responsible consumerism
Rita R. Robison
Seattlepi.com Web log
July 21, 2009

Overview: “Baby boomers, a generation known for its consumptive lifestyle, are now at the stage of life where people naturally shift focus from acquiring material goods to more enriching experiences.”
http://tinyurl.com/m4zewv

Bad Year? The Luxury Cars Are Coming Anyway
Wall Street Journal
July 21, 2009

Overview: “These coupe-sedan hybrids are clearly aimed at baby boomers who want to show the sporting flag as if they’re still 29, but whose 55-year-old bums and backs need more spacious accommodations.”
http://tinyurl.com/mu2w4v

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

The Baby Boomers' Legacy
John Zogby
Forbes
July 23, 2009

Overview: “A Zogby Interactive poll of 4,811 adults conducted for the Aspen Institute included one question that asked about the historic legacy of the baby boom generation, who were born between 1946 and 1964.”
http://tinyurl.com/lrpr6r

Twitter for Baby Boomers
Alicia Whitaker
The Huffington Post
July 22, 2009

Overview: For Baby Boomers, “the new game in town is Twitter and some … are learning how to play...or to tweet, in Twitter-talk.”
http://tinyurl.com/mxojow

Harry Potter Is Their Peter Pan
David Browne
The New York Times
July 22, 2009

Overview: “While boomers or Gen Xers might have no idea what the phrase “classic Nickelodeon” implies, to anyone in his or her 20s, it means fondly remembered cable tween shows like “All That” and “Clarissa Explains It All” (whose star, Melissa Joan Hart, recently showed off her weight loss on the cover of People magazine).”
http://tinyurl.com/n4zagu

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Alzheimer's Drugs May Be Next Investment Trend
James Altucher
The Wall Street Journal
July 23, 2009

Overview: “The baby boomers, those born between 1946 and the early '60s, will become the largest generation of senior citizens this country has ever experienced. And they want to live. They want to live as long as they possibly can, and enjoy all that life has to offer. But here's the problem: With the average age increasing each year, diseases with no cure are having a greater impact. Alzheimer's disease is one example.”
http://tinyurl.com/nk6jej

Laid Off Baby Boomers Seek Entry-Level Jobs
Emily Brandon
U.S. News & World Report
July 23, 2009

Overview: “When you’re laid off at age 50 or older it can be tough to find a new job with the same level of seniority. Some out-of-work baby boomers are now applying for positions on a lower rung of the organizational ladder.”
http://tinyurl.com/lefgr8

The Leaner Baby Boomer Economy
David Welch
BusinessWeek
July 23, 2009

Overview: “When 79 million people—nearly a third of Americans—start spending less and saving more, you know it won't be pretty. According to consulting firm McKinsey, boomers' conversion to thrift could stifle the economy's hoped-for rebound and knock U.S. growth down from the 3.2% it has averaged since 1965 to 2.4% over the next 30 years.”
http://tinyurl.com/l2hjvb

Baby boomers curb free-spending habits
David Welch
Business Week
July 27, 2009

Overview: According to consulting firm McKinsey, boomers' conversion to thrift could stifle the economy's hoped-for rebound and knock U.S. growth down from the 3.2 percent it has averaged since 1965 to 2.4 percent over the next 30 years
http://tinyurl.com/mpfkor

Legacy of Baby Boomers measured
Paul Briand
Examiner
July 27, 2009

Overview: Zogby International offers a glimpse of the Baby Boomer legacy with a survey that shows "consumerism and self-indulgence" will be the hallmark of Boomers more than any of the cultural changes that occurred.
http://tinyurl.com/m9eagu

Babies and Boomers
Alison Lobron
Boston Globe
July 26, 2009

Overview: Nationally, births to mothers 50 and up have increased by an average of 15 percent a year since 1997.
http://tinyurl.com/lt6zde

At aging conferences I use to attend, some people would cringe at the conference sessions that centered around older adults and sex. And in my mind the titles of the sessions, always hazy and euphemistically stated (e.g. “Going into the Garden after 70”), only reinforced the associated stigma. Shhhhh, they said. Older people aren’t supposed to have sex anymore. Let’s keep this discreet.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

On the cover of the ... AARP The Magazine?
Paul Briand
Examiner
July 28, 2009

Overview: 60 year old boomer Bruce Springsteen graces cover of AARP magazine.
http://tinyurl.com/lk8tym

Marketing to Boomers
Diana Brady
Business Week
July 27, 2009

Overview: Consumers over age 50 have 2.5 times the discretionary spending power of the coveted 18-to-34 age group. Yet ads aimed at boomers still seem to miss the mark.
http://tinyurl.com/ldrlg3

Marketing to Today's 65-plus Consumers
Mark Dolliver
Ad Week
July 27, 2009

Overview: Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends survey released last month, 60 percent of respondents, age 65-plus said they feel younger than their actual age -- in many cases much younger.
http://tinyurl.com/l48fto

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

The Baby Boomer Legacy
Emily Brandon
US News & World Report
July 28, 2009

Overview: The baby boomer generation has left its imprint on every aspect of American culture.
http://tinyurl.com/nxt8k5

Boomers go venturing
Hanah Cho
Baltimore Sun
July 29, 2009

Overview: “Post-World War II generation takes the lead in starting new businesses, study says.”
http://tinyurl.com/mk7t52

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Older Drivers and License Renewal
Tanya Mohn
New York Times
July 30, 2009

Overview: “Unleashing an aging Baby Boomer generation on the roadways will cause a genuine public health crisis in the years to come.”
http://tinyurl.com/ma3osu

When the golden years include a commute
Allison Linn
MSNBC.com
July 30, 2009

Overview: “A combination of good health, economic necessity and the other rewards of work are pushing some Americans to stay in the work force long past traditional retirement age.”
http://tinyurl.com/luc6qm

Obama to AARP: Keep politics out of Medicare decisions
Paul Briand
Examiner
July 29, 2009

Overview: The question of Medicare is important for seniors currently getting the benefit and for the coming tsunami of Baby Boomers
http://tinyurl.com/luqw44

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Boomers and Housing: A Symbiotic Relationship Unravels
Mark Miller
Huffington Post
July 30, 2009

Overview: As prices soared during the bubble era, boomers took on larger mortgages, and greater percentages are now carrying mortgage debt well into their 60s than ever before.
http://tinyurl.com/l66p7k

Boomers push up disability claims
Paul Briand
Examiner
July 31, 2009

Overview: As Baby Boomers get older -- and become more injury prone -- officials report they are seeing a greater number of disability claims.
http://tinyurl.com/na7bt5