“A lucid and vivid account of the combined flawed social policies and ingrained corporate attitudes that have brought the US economy to its knees.” —Dr. Ronald Manheimer, former executive director, North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement Baby Boomer Bust? examines and analyzes the meltdown of 2008/2009 from economic, political, and social perspectives and illuminates how the meltdown has directly impacted Baby Boomers—once known as the generation of promise, but now the generation of panic. It examines the downturn’s impact on Boomers’ lifestyles, dreams, aspirations, and future plans. Baby Boomer Bust? raises some provocative questions regarding the generations ability to survive the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression “A revealing insight into the effects of the recent economic downturn on the very generation that helped to create one of the world’s most powerful and influential economies. Mr. Chiocchi’s examination brings into sharp relief some of the more salient, and subtle, social-consequences of one of the greatest economic disasters in the history of Western civilization.” —Michael J. Formica, MS, MA, EdM, psychotherapist, social scientist “A sobering view of the underside of the economic meltdown.” —Jerry Shereshewsky, CEO, Grandparents.com

Seventy-six million Baby Boomers are careening toward retirement in the United States. Demographic shifts toward aging populations are taking place around the Western world, as a variety of factors—biological, technological, medical, and sociocultural—are extending life spans. Meanwhile, birth rates are declining. The scaremongers argue that this generational shift is going to be disastrous: It will result in skyrocketing tax rates, lower retirement and health benefits, higher inflation, increased unemployment and poverty, political instability, and a host of other societal ills. But will it? In Boomer Bust?, Robert Hudson assembles leading authors from fields such as economics, political science, and finance to separate fact from fiction, highlight the terms of debate, and showcase innovative policies that will prevent disaster from occurring. From topics like Social Security to older people rejoining the workforce to the elderly as a political lobby, this two-volume set covers the gamut of economic, political, financial, and business issues related to aging. The Boomer generation will leave one of the largest footprints the world has yet seen. In retirement, as in all else, this generation is blazing a path affecting succeeding generations profoundly. Boomer Bust? charts a path through the thicket of personal and public policy choices facing not just Baby Boomers but all of society.

"Seventy-six million Baby Boomers are careening toward retirement in the U.S. Demographic shifts toward aging populations are taking place around the Western world, as a variety of factors--biological, technological, medical, and socio-cultural--are extending life spans. Meanwhile, birth rates are declining. The scaremongers argue that this generational shift is going to be disastrous: It will result in skyrocketing tax rates, lower retirement and health benefits, higher inflation, increased unemployment and poverty, political instability, and a host of other societal ills. But will it? In Boomer Bust?, Robert Hudson assembles leading authors from fields such as economics, political science, and finance to separate fact from fiction, highlight the terms of debate, and showcase innovative policies that will prevent disaster from occurring.

The baby boom of 1945-65 produced the biggest, richest generation that Britain has ever known. Today, at the peak of their power and wealth, baby boomers now run the country; by virtue of their sheer demographic power, they have fashioned the world around them in a way that meets all of their housing, healthcare, and financial needs. In this original and provocative book, David Willetts shows how the baby boomer generation has attained this position at the expense of their children. Social, cultural, and economic provision has been made for the reigning section of society, whilst the needs of the next generation have taken a back seat. Willetts argues that if our political, economic, and cultural leaders do not begin to discharge their obligations to the future, the young people of today will be taxed more, work longer hours for less money, have lower social mobility, and live in a degraded environment in order to pay for their parents' quality of life. Baby boomers, worried about the kind of world they are passing on to their children, are beginning to take note. However, whilst the imbalance in the quality of life between the generations is becoming more obvious, what is less certain is whether the older generation will be willing to make the sacrifices necessary for a more equal distribution. The Pinch is a landmark account of intergenerational relations in Britain. It is essential reading for parents and policymakers alike.

Lots of marketers paint a rosy picture of the lifestyle of baby boomers as they enter the retirement years. But authors Moschis and Mathur, basing their findings on 20 years of surveys among baby boomers and their parents, tell it like it is. Many baby boomers have saved little money for retirement; their health is worse than that of their parents; and while both generations say travel is in their futures, many will not have money enough to rent a budget motel a few miles from home. But the picture is not all bleak. Moschis and Mathur use their findings to discuss how people can live longer, more satisfying lives. In addition, they apply those findings to marketing and advertising, advising businesses how to use the attitudes and mindsets of mature consumers to create products and services for them as well as to make those products and services more appealing to older customers.