Generation X (Gen X)

“Generation X” is the title given to that group of Americans lucky enough to be born between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials. The exact birthdates that make up this generation vary based on whom one asks, but generally speaking, Gen X is made up of people born somewhere between the mid '60s and early '80s.

So why do we care which generation a person is part of? Well, first of all, because it’s interesting, and secondly, because even though it’s not foolproof by any means, generational research can help us identify and predict trends among certain age groups.

For example, in the wonderful wide world of finances, we know that Gen X has less saved for retirement than Boomers did at their age. That’s troubling, but we also know that their financial situations were more negatively affected by stuff like the Great Recession and the bursting of the dot-com bubble. Gen Xers tend to be more skeptical in some areas—they’re less likely to blindly trust financial institutions than their Boomer parents—but they’re also more optimistic in other areas, like when it comes to starting businesses or investing in the startups of others.

This generation grew up with big hair bands, the Brat Pack, and the Cold War. They were the first generation of so-called “latchkey kids:” kids in single-parent households or households where both parents worked. They saw the advent of the internet and the sunset of TV rabbit ears. And now, as they progress into middle age, those experiences—and their experiences now—are continuing to inform how they behave economically. And the savvy business investors out there are trying anticipate what they’ll do next…and how they can cash in on it.