Throughout ninety-nine percent of human history, life expectancy at birth was less than eighteen years. Few people had a chance to age. Today, thanks to extraordinary medical, demographic, and economic shifts, most of us expect to live long lives. Consequently, the world is witnessing a powerful new version of retirement, driven by the power and needs of the Baby Boomer generation. Consumers over age fifty account for more than half of all spending and control more than 70% of our total net worth—yet are largely ignored by youth-focused marketers. How will work, family, and retirement be transformed to accommodate two billion people over the age of sixty worldwide? In the coming years, we'll see explosive business growth fueled by this unprecedented longevity revolution.
What Retirees Want presents the culmination of thirty years of research by world-famous "Age Wave" expert Ken Dychtwald, PhD, and author and consultant Robert Morison. This entertaining, thought-provoking, and wide-ranging book explains how individuals, businesses, non-profits, and governments can best prepare for a new era—where the needs and demands of the "Third Age" will set the lifestyle, health, social, marketplace, and political priorities of generations to come.