What separates Baby Boomers from Gen X and Y, and what distinguish Gen Y from X? And hey Gen Z, welcome to the party! What’s the cutoff? How old is each generation? Are they really that different?

How different are the Generation?

<ul><li>Boomer Birth Years: 1946 to 1964</li><li>Current Age: 57 to 75</li><li>Media Consumption: Baby boomers are the biggest consumers of traditional media like television, radio, magazines, and newspaper. Some now have a Facebook account. This generation has begun to adopt more technology in order to stay in touch with family members and reconnect with old friends.</li><li>Banking Habits: Boomers prefer to go into a branch to perform transactions.</li><li>Shaping Events: World War 2</li></ul>

The Baby Boomer Generation

<ul><li>Gen X Birth Years: 1965 to 1979/80</li><li>Current Age: 41 to 56</li><li>Media Consumption: Gen X still reads newspapers, magazines, listens to the radio, and watches TV. However, they are also digitally savvy and spend roughly 7 hours a week on Facebook (the highest of any generational cohort).</li><li>Banking Habits: Since they are digitally savvy, Gen X will do some research and financial management online, but still prefer to do transactions in person. </li><li>Shaping Event: Rise of personal computing.</li></ul>

Generation X

<ul><li>Millennial Birth Years: 1981 to 1994/6</li><li>Current Age: 25 to 40</li><li>Media Consumption: 95% still watch TV, but Netflix edges out traditional cable as the preferred provider. Streaming services is the popular choice for them. This generation is extremely comfortable with mobile devices and online shopping. They typically have multiple social media accounts.</li><li>Banking Habits: Millennials have less brand loyalty than previous generations and have little patience for inefficient or poor service. Millennials place their trust in brands with superior product as Apple.</li><li>Shaping Event: Rise of the digital age.</li></ul>

Millennial (Generation Y)

<ul><li>Gen Z Birth Years: 1997 to 2012/15</li><li>Currently Aged: 6 to 23</li><li>Media Consumption: Many of them grew up playing with their parents' mobile phones or tablets. They have grown up in a hyper-connected world and the smartphone is their preferred method of communication. </li><li>Banking Habits: This generation has seen the struggle of Millennials and has adopted a more fiscally conservative approach. They want to avoid debt. </li><li>Shaping Events: Smartphones, social media, never knowing a country not at war, and seeing the financial struggles of their parents (Gen X).</li></ul>

Generation Z

What separates Generation Y from X, and is Generation Z a thing? Where do Millennials fit? They’re in vastly different phases of their financial life.