John D. Rockefeller once declared, "If you want to succeed, you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success." Given the flagging rate of economic recovery, perhaps Americans have taken his advice to heart--literally.

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BABY BOOMERS AGAIN!
Whine all you want, Gen Y, but boomers are about to steal your spotlight.


The 76 million-strong demographic is making headlines for providing a slew of market opportunities such as construction services that make homes more senior-friendly; supermarkets with lower shelves and wheelchair-compatible shopping carts; and sales and tech support by phone for seniors, by seniors.
Would-be retirees are taking over the workforce, too. A recent study by the Center for Work-Life Policy found that 62 percent of working boomers expect to stay in the labor force for at least nine more years, and that by 2020, 80 percent of North American-born workers will be older than 50. Some experts even expect a boom in entrepreneurship as healthcare reform takes effect.

"What this means is that boomers will have a lot of power," says Stephen Sweet, a lead researcher at Boston College's Sloan Center on Aging and Work. As boomers age toward retirement, employers will have to consider alternative work arrangements and other ways to accommodate them. The impending takeover is "on everyone's radar," he says.

Besides, these days, being old doesn't automatically mean you lose cool points. Last fall, American University offered a class on boomers, complete with a festival showing movies like The Graduate and The Big Chill. And as proof that it takes more than sunshine and souped-up golf carts to keep retirees happy, Florida took only one spot in a recent CNN list of Top 25 best places to retire. (The top three were university towns in North Carolina, New Hampshire and Kentucky.)