Most of us know already that the television and movie people target their fare at the 18-49 year old market. They seem to disregard the 50+ group other than throwing an occasional bone with "Nick at Night" or "TV Land." However, maybe they should sit up and take notice of a new Scarborough Research analysis which reveals that life begins at 50... at least when financial services are involved.
Run that by us again? Okay, people who are 50 or older have more financial assets and use more financial services than the young uns.
Consider that according to the survey, some 39 percent of the adult population is 50+. They account for the bulk of the American investing public. In fact, Scarborough says that some 60 percent of these consumers have CDs in their household. And we're not talking about Bono; it's certificates of deposit. If you look at the 18-49 year olds, only 40 percent of them have certificates of deposit in their household.
Linda Fisher, director of AARP's national member research department points out that 50+ consumers control a disproportionately large share of the nation's wealth and they are a prime target for financial services. "When it comes to targeting the 50+ consumer, however, it is essential to understand the real lives of midlife and older Americans--from which activities define their lifestyles by age, gender, income or race, to how often they purchase financial goods and services."
Alisa Joseph, vp in charge of advertiser marketing services for Scarborough, concurs that financial markets are now realizing these adults control most of the nation's wealth and that those not aggressively targeting this consumer segment will be missing out on the lion's share of the net worth the group offers, which, she adds, is a powerful one and quite substantial.
Moreover, the survey also reveals that adults 50+ are active investors and use a variety of services to ensure effective financial planning. While they are 33 percent less likely than all consumers to pay their bills online, they are51 percent more likely to use a full service stockbroker and 23 percent more likely to use a financial planner.
Taking this a step forward, consider the retired 50+ generation. It's an understatement to say that they provide great opportunity for a financial planner. Although admittedly this group only accounts for some 14 percent of the total U.S. adult population, they do account for some 27 percent of those who have those certificates of deposit as a household investment. Moreover, 21 percent of consumers who have money market accounts as household investments are those retired people 50+. That's quite an attractive target, eh?
