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New Seniors have much to offer trailing generations as we continue to travel the road of this great adventure called life.  If ever there was a time for truth and wisdom in America it is now.  That’s why if you’re 65+ you must be willing to give back to the country that was so good to you through a commitment to service.

However, there seems to be a resistance to making waves or getting involved in unfamiliar areas at this phase of our lives.  Sure, New Seniors continue to serve on church boards, participate in the activities of service organizations or engage in some other ongoing volunteer work.  But, you may say, “It’s only natural after 65 to resist tackling something new.”

New Seniors who are making a difference in their communities are finding this kind of thinking to be far from reality.  After all, you’re 65, you’re retired (or soon will be) and you’re capable of doing just about anything you put your mind to.  So ask yourself, “What am I going to do with the remaining third of my life?” 

You have lots of experience, lots of energy and plenty of time that could be devoted to worthwhile ventures.  How much golf can you play, how many books can you read, how many trips can you take and how much television can you watch before getting bored and asking the question, “Is there a meaning and purpose in life after 65?”

More than any time in your life, this is when you can dream about what you’d like to do and then go do it without restrictions.  And the beauty of service work is you are helping others rather than focusing on yourself.  The sense of accomplishment expands when you help another person, and it may well be the incentive to cause that individual to help some one else.  And the chain gets longer and stronger.

If you’re 65+ think about what you learned from parents, teachers, coaches, clergymen, bosses and other leaders – those things that were so freely given to you.  Then consider where and how you can apply this knowledge to make life better at home, in the community and across the country.  All that remains is for you to take the appropriate next steps.

These kinds of commitments are what constitute the New Seniors movement.  It’s not an organized effort, rather it’s people like you and me trying to do the right thing and make a difference in the lives of others.  If you’re already doing your part, tell us about your activities.  If you haven’t started, investigate the possibilities and don’t be afraid to jump in.  You’ll find lots of other New Seniors ready to help you be of service.      

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Two years ago, at just about this point on the pre-election calendar, people of all ages were wearing pins , donning T-shirts and slapping stickers on their cars in support of the idea of hope and change as the battle cry for fixing whatever was wrong with America. 

Today, there is growing anger among many regarding the attitudes and policies of those they elected.  Recent pools indicate that two-thirds (66.6%) of likely voters believe we’re on the wrong track, yet the train keeps on rolling faster and faster toward possible disaster.  How could things go so bad so quickly?

Of course, we all recognize there’s a difference between how well politicians campaign and how well they perform in office.  I voted in my first election the year Jack Kennedy ran, 1960.  You had to be 21 to vote back then.  As with our current president, JFK had charisma, he excited people (especially younger ones) and he was a breath of fresh air in staid, old Washington.  However, his work was cut short by an assassin’s bullet.

In 2008, the idea of change appealed to the majority of voters on election day.  But the concept of change means different things to different people.  To some change was a promise to clean up Washington and make it more transparent.  Others believed change to mean giving the government back to the people by listening to them and trying to meet their expressed needs.  And for another group change meant fixing the nation’s problems, real and perceived, which would require some restructuring of the current system. 

Most citizens did not understand that change would mean out-of-control spending, a worsening economy, increased unemployment, collapse of the housing market, higher taxes and running up a national debt that’s so big our grandchildren and great grandchildren will be paying for it throughout their entire lives.  And, while all this was occurring, we were fighting two long-standing wars, found ourselves unable to handle home-grown disasters like the Gulf oil spill and were not able to stop the flow of illegal’s at the borders let alone deal with those already in this country.

The above problems, as well as others too numerous to mention, were not created by one person, or even one party, and did not all happen within one year.  However, as in the past, those in power get the accolades as well as the blame.  This is why so many incumbents or establishment candidates from both parties are in real trouble this year.  Because it is not a national election, past voting records and current issues will be viewed more carefully by state and district voters.  And party preferences can be trumped by candidates deemed more trustworthy and better qualified to tackle what’s facing us.

So, a big change can be expected this fall, in the U.S. Congress and in many state houses across the country.  It will be a people’s election, one where change will be instigated from the bottom up instead of from the top down.  And, one thing is certain, if the newly elected representatives don’t get the people’s work done to our satisfaction, these politicians will be voted out of office the next time we go to the polls.  Because in the United States, government is supposed to work for us not the other way around.     

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Look at the problems out there: major unemployment, out-of-control spending, investments and savings going nowhere, deflation or inflation  ready to strike at any moment, tax increases looming, medical coverage rates up with services down, more taxes to come, unprotected borders, foreign forces threatening America and more.  On top of this, the foods we love are killing us.  Hanging on to the barrage of negative information slung at us each day is having faith in the worst rather than the best life has to offer, which eliminates of hope.

Expecting negative outcomes allows one to predict the future, control the results and then say, “See I told you things were lousy.”  To make this self-fulfilling prophecy become a reality, requires ignoring the good that surrounds us.  These blessings are abundant, even if we refuse to see them.  Only by letting go of the negative are we free to open our hearts and minds to the positive things that come into our lives.

This sounds simpler than it is, because we live in a “problem/solution” world.  For years, we’ve been instructed to identify the problem, analyze it, develop a plan and implement it in order to solve the problem.  This causes us to focus on problems rather than live in the solution.  “What’s that,” you say?  Everything we encounter is not a problem.  Look at them as situations, because if you can’t make a direct contribution to resolving the matter, it’s probably not your problem.  It belongs to someone else.  Situations don’t demand your personal attention the way problems do.  So why worry about it?

Don’t think for a minute that this is a head-in-the-sand approach to living comfortably in today’s world.  Nothing of the kind.  It is a common-sense way of being able to make a difference where and when you can while not being bogged down with problems that you can’t resolve.  This is more a tend to your own knitting way of participating in life.  Your job is to sort through the situations until you find a problem that deserves your attention and your involvement can make a difference.

The place to start is at home, then branch out to friends and eventually the community in which you live – like dropping a pebble in the pond and following the concentric circle as the move out.  Being of service is a concept that works.  It will allow you to get outside yourself  by helping others with their problems.  The more you do this, the fewer problems you seem to have.  And if you think the government is a problem, vote for someone who you rely on to fix things.  In the meantime reach out and accentuate the positive, chances are you’ll find real solutions for living.   

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Fear does not necessarily relate to reality.  However, there are many warning signs as we travel the road to the next phase of life.  Some of these facts may suggest we are on the threshold of a pending crisis.  America’s top 100 corporations were found to have pension plans that were underfunded by over $200 billion.  The number of pension funds considered at risk inside falling companies has tripled.  And, in the last year, a quarter of those in the workforce who were ready to retire have put it off until later.

Government workers are usually guaranteed that any shortfall in their pension funds will be made good by the taxpayers.  Financially strapped states and local governments are revisiting this practice and are making efforts to renegotiate labor contracts, but this will be fought to the bitter end by the unions.  Unfortunately, the general public believes these workers should not be rescued at the expense of taxpayers.  It is unlikely that retired government workers will be affected, but younger ones have plenty to worry about.

Some 60% of non-retired Americans believe Social Security benefits will not be available to them when they stop working.  They have good reason to believe this, since this is the first year when Social Security will pay out more than it takes in; this had been projected to occur in 2016.  Currently 35% of those 65+ depend solely on these benefits for their retirement income.  But the situation will not improve because the number of workers paying for each retiree is 3.3 and will worsen by 2025 to just 2 workers for each one receiving Social Security.

The ever-increasing interest costs on the national debt coupled with the rise in spending for entitlements means that by 2019 more than 90 cents out of every dollar in federal revenue will be required to support Social Security and Medicare, as we know it.  If we ignore these disturbing facts, each of us is headed for financial disaster as the United States goes bankrupt.  This can’t be allowed to happen to the greatest country on earth.

It is imperative that we start a national debate about all entitlement programs.  Our elected official will be required to state their positions and we will demand that they listen to our thoughts.  The problem won’t be fixed overnight, but a dialogue can be established.  Through this process, we will get to know what the politicians believe and what their willing to do.  Then, we can decide who will represent us in the future.

In the meantime, stay calm.  Help others needier than you.  And, be sure to be of service to your family, friends and community.  This sure beats worrying.         

As you know, every member of the United States House of Representatives, all 435 of them, is up for election in November.  A third of the 100 Senators will also be on the ballots.  And, many state and local candidates will be fighting for your vote this fall as well.  With the economy in trouble at all levels, along with a host of other concerns, this election gives every citizen the right to choose who they want to represent them.  So, there really is something each of us can do.

If you ever thought term limits was a sound idea, this is the year to put that concept to work.  In political parlance, this is known as a mid-term or off-year election.  This means there is no national activity such as we have during presidential campaigns.  Of course, lots of national money will be thrown at various races so that the party in power remains in office.  At the same time the party on the outs will pour national dollars against candidates they believe can be defeated.  Since there’s so much at stake, like it or not, money will play a big role in every key election.

But this is not the year to allow past party loyalties, clever ads or slick orators to influence your decision.  Rather it is the responsibility of each of us to learn about the issues and the people who are running, both the incumbent and the challenger.  Then decide who is best qualified to serve you. 

Once you have come to a conclusion as to who you want to support, volunteer to help them win; because if they win you win.  They need both money and people power.  Even if you can’t afford to contribute, the excuse of not having time or not being a political animal does little to help your choice become the choice of others.  There are lots of things you can do that don’t take much time; many tasks can be done at home in your spare time, just ask the people at campaign headquarters about them.  It’s not necessary to put signs on your lawn or car; you can help while remaining anonymous.

New Seniors are going to account for nearly a third of the votes that will be cast in November.  This means those born between 1930 and 1945 have the ability to change the outcome of virtually every race for every seat in the US House of Representatives as well as affect the results of many other campaigns.  If the boomers turning 65 in the next few years join in, you can expect to see a new political landscape.

Positive change begins with you.  So, if you are tired with politics as usual, getting involved is a small price to pay.  Besides, many who have been reluctant to volunteer have learned to like it.  The important thing to remember is that you hold the key.             

To begin with, there are 44 million Americans on Medicare.  Of these, more than 25%, 11.3 million are covered by Medicare Advantage.  Those with this plan will start experiencing cut-backs in 2012.  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that if Medicare and Social Security are not changed, these programs will account for 50% of all federal spending by 2035. 

The news is particularly disconcerting for boomers who start turning 65 next year at the rate of one every ten second and will continue to do so through 2030.  Many of the retiring baby boomers, even those who planned for the future, will rely on Medicare and Social Security to live with some degree of comfort in the years ahead.

Some in Congress say the only way to avert the future budget fiasco is to cut-back Social Security benefits, raise the retirement age and institute means testing to determine which retirees get what and how much.  It does not take a rocket scientist to conclude that this kind of thinking will be applied to health care benefits as well.

It’s possible that those turning 65 in 2015 and later will be the first to suffer.  Retiring baby boomers in the future might have to wait until they are 75 to receive Social Security and Medicare coverage could be delayed until age 70.  Expect a redistribution of funds within Social Security system, while every Medicare recipient will feel the affects of budget cutbacks in the quality and extent of care and services.

We paid into Social Security all our working life.  We accepted rate increases and paying on a greater percentage of our salaries as our incomes increased.  We paid our taxes and through this helped fund Medicare since its inception in 1965.  We were promised by our elected officials that our dollars would be spent wisely and be there when we reached retirement age.  We were lied to by the very people who told us we needed these benefits.

It’s too late for folks who are already retired to go back and make the money we might need to offset changes in Social Security or Medicare – just as we will never be able to replace the money in our IRAs and other retirement investments that fell by a third when the current recession hit.  It’s up to the New Seniors, those born between 1930 and 1945, to lead the way in getting the politicians to understand and do something about the problems we face.  And it’s up to the generation turning 65 next year and in the near future to join us in this effort.  Together we can, and will, make a difference.        

If you are 65+, you know what it means to be a New Senior.  And if you know someone who is 65+, you can see that New Seniors are not like the seniors of old.  The concept of being a New Senior started with the Pre-boomers (those born between 1930 and 1945).  We are more than 30 million strong, and all us will be 65 or older this year. 

Another New Senior landmark event takes place next year when the first of the over 76 million Baby Boomers start turning 65.  This translates to someone becoming a New Senior every ten seconds through 2030.

The Greatest Generation, after doing so much for our country, has passed the baton to the New Seniors.  So it is our job to uphold, the values those before us fought for and sacrificed to protect for all generations.  New Seniors Day was established to memorialize this responsibility. 

New Seniors accept this honor and make the commitment to connect with other New Seniors by engaging in honest and civil discussions, sharing our experience and getting involved in our communities and reaching out to others in an effort to bring our great nation together, once more.

The 65+ crowd is a more homogenous group than most other demographics – partly because we share similar concerns about living our own lives in relative comfort and safety and partly because life’s lessons endowed us with an understanding of the importance of  unity.  New Seniors are not from one race, political party, religious affiliation, education level, job background or geographic area.

Our numbers are impressive.  There are more Pre-boomers than there are adult Hispanics living in the United States.  Pre-boomers and Boomers together represent a larger population than Generations X and Y combined.  By 2015 the New Seniors population will be about 50 million, which is just 17% of the population.  However, we will account for a third of the discretionary income and half of the country’s assets. 

Politicians should note that this year those 65+ are expected to account for 30% of the votes cast.  And our concerns about Medicare, Social Security and tax increases will be expressed at the ballot box.  New Seniors are also concerned about the future of our grown children and the education and opportunities of our grandchildren.  We expect the nation’s problems to be solved in a common sense way that will benefit all Americans.

So on June 5th (6/5), join in the celebration of New Seniors Day.  If you’re not one, take a few minutes from your busy schedule to call a New Senior and get to know us.  Learn from what we experienced by living life on life’s terms.  And, most important, enlist our guidance to navigate the bumpy road that lies ahead.  You’ll discover that we are ready and willing to help if you are prepared to accept it.  Find out more at http://www.NewSeniors.com.   

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Having spent my business career in the advertising business, I know the younger consumer is king.  This is predicated on the fact that these folks follow fads, want peer group acceptance and will be in the marketplace for years to come.  Therefore, over the years they will buy more of a particular brand, especially those age 18 to 34, assuming they remain loyal to it.  From an advertising standpoint – this applies to programming, too because audience composition ultimately determines what type of products will be purchasing the TV time – once you reach 50 you’re dead.

So the advertisers interested in those 65+ treat us as if we’re all “over-the-hill.”  The OTC products (over-the-counter: non-prescription medicines, skin creams and denture items) sold on the evening news is an indicator as to what marketers think we need.  The ads for prescription drugs range from erectile dysfunction (E.D.), to bladder and prostate problems, to cholesterol and diabetes control.  Services advertised include reverse mortgages, long-term care insurance and funeral arrangements.  What a deadly line up of advertisers this is.

For pre-boomers (those born between 1930 and 1945), the actors in these commercials are either too young and hip for us to relate to, like the guy who spirits his wife away on a motorcycle to try out his new virility now that he no longer is impotent thanks to an E.D. pill.  Or too old and inactive for our age group, such as the woman of 85 who decides to go with a reverse mortgage in order to make ends meet.  These are examples of the extremes that surround our generation of 30 million vibrant consumers ages 65 to 79. 

We have saved for our retirement.  We spend money on the goods and services we want and need.  And we will continue to be viable consumers for years to come.  Not only have advertisers overlooked the “forgotten generation,” the politicians have too.  Pre-boomers account for 30 percent of the votes cast in off-year elections.  And we’re concerned about the records of our representative when it comes to issues affecting us: taxes, health care, national security and more.  Many of those we trusted have let us down; that’s why incumbents have plenty to worry about in the 2010 elections.

It doesn’t matter what’s being sold, advertisers need to realize that pre-boomers are not old and we represent an important audience to them.  These marketers, including politicians, would do well to accept this and start talking to us in our language about our needs and deliver on the promises they make.  That’s easy enough to understand.   

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Take my situation.  I was in the eyes of many a workaholic.  Therefore I had a tough time retiring from the advertising business, which I loved.  So I did not leave the game and hang up the spikes until, at age 67, I sold my ownership in the ad agency I founded some 20 years earlier.  There was a non-compete clause in the sales agreement prohibiting me from engaging in any activities within the industry.  This is standard in these kinds of contracts, but it essentially shut me down from doing what I did for 45 years.  To keep me from climbing the walls at home, I needed to find something to do with my energy, experience and enthusiasm for being creative.  Recreation could wait.

Having written a popular marketing book and hundreds of articles about advertising, I thought maybe there was a novel in me.  So I wrote my first full-length novel.  I took me a year.  This was followed by another work of fiction.  About the time I finished the manuscript for the second book, my non-compete expired.  Not long after that I was consulting for a number of clients, serving as an expert witness on marketing cases, writing articles and speaking at seminars and conventions.  I was back in the game and loving it.  Recreation was on the back burner again.

For many years, I had been involved in marketing to the baby boomers and became somewhat of an expert on that generation of 76 million consumers.  However, I had overlooked my own generation: the pre-boomers.  This realization caused me to do some research on those of us born between 1930 and 1945 and to discover that virtually everyone else overlooked us too.  We were the “forgotten generation.”

As a result of this revelation, I started writing the “Pre-boomer Musings” blog.  The idea behind it is to offer thoughts, comments and opinions on topics of interest to our generation.  Back in May when the blog first appeared, I expected to post two articles a week.  Before long the weekly postings expanded to twice that number.  The response has been heartening too, so this effort will move on to the next step early next year.

The point of my story is that I am no different than many retirees.  We don’t want to stop thinking, being involved or feeling relevant.  Rather then looking for nonproductive recreation to pass the time, we want to contribute something to society.  Re-creating ourselves by originating, producing, bringing about or causing something to happen that will be good for others and provide us with a sense of accomplishment.  Being willing to be of service has a way of refreshing your body, mind and spirit.  Let us know how you re-created yourself in retirement and how it changed your life.

We do not remember the pain of the depression, but most of us have vivid memories of WWII and the years immediately following it.  For the most part, we were too young for Korea and too old for Vietnam.  We did not march in the streets for civil rights, women’s rights or to protest any wars.  What we did was grow up believing America was the greatest land on earth and believed in the opportunities it offered those of us who worked hard to get ahead.  So we were the driving force behind what ultimately became the longest period of peace time prosperity in the nation’s history.  Oh, and don’t forget, we invented rock and rock too. 

Our elders (parents, teachers and the community) taught us to be patriots, believe in one another, and believe in ourselves.  We still cherish these lessons and practice them to the best of our abilities.  It was the pre-boomer who taught the boomers, but some place along the line they didn’t latch on to the American values the way we did.  The “me generation” became the symbol of status and the generation of “more.”  This pleased the marketers of goods and services, and as the boomers came of age there was a huge group of consumers’ eager to buy what others were selling.  I know, because I was one of the admen who targeted the baby boomers and later wrote a book about marketing to them, “The 50+ Boomer: Your Key to 76 Million Consumers.”

After retiring a few years back, I continued to research and write about marketing issues.  In so doing, I realized how people under-valued my generation.  Marketers, advertisers, the media, you name it; they simply forgot about the pre-boomers.  A quick search of Web sites or online articles shows few are directed at my peers.  Yes, there are people writing to “seniors” about investments, real estate, retirement planning, and insurance; but there’s not much in the way of current events or nostalgic interests specifically for pre-boomers.  In fact, most people use pre-boomer and boomer as interchangeable terms — not all but enough to indicate they don’t have an understanding of the audience they’re trying to reach.

There’s a community of pre-boomers waiting, in fact needing, to connect.  We have common problems for which there are common solutions.  My hope is we will come together online to help each other, the trailing generations and the country as a whole.  Are you ready to join in?