Saturday, February 21, 2004

Spending the kids inheritance (SKI) – gets attention

There is nothing like the smell of money (or lack of it) to get peoples’ attention. Maybe the prospect of mum and dad spending their way through the kid’s nest egg will be the thing that jolts business into understanding the importance of the 50+.

On the Wednesday (18th Feb) the BBC broadcast a programme called “Spending the Kids Inheritance”, which I missed. Having just read a synopsis maybe have been a fortunate thing.

It appeared that they used the boring old model of combining a few facts and figures with the “real life” implications. I quote: ”we talked to seasoned travellers Pat and Jimmy Garrard as they prepared for their latest holiday. ‘We want to get out and see the world, and the opportunities are there, more so than they were in my parents' day’. The Garrards' 36-year-old son Jeremy whole-heartedly approves of his parents new found enjoyment for travel (I bet he does!!). ‘I think they should spend every penny they've got, they should get out there and do whatever they want and if there's money left at the end of the day then I'll go out and spend it for them,’ he said.”

Maybe the programme did go on to look at the wide spectrum of wealth and health of the 50+ but it appears that it went for the simplistic model of the old, wealthy and time rich rather than the less TV entertaining old, poor and ill.

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