A Boomer "Bucket List" for Ages 50-64

The folks at a newish Web site for Boomers ages 50 to 64, PreRetirementLife.com, have released a pretty good list of things Boomers should be doing now to get ready for life after work.

You can read the list here.

Not surprisingly, it starts with health related things to do. In our work with marketers and organizations trying to figure out what will drive Boomer behavior over the next 10, 20, even 30 years, we tell them it starts and stops with maintaining health. Because without it, Boomers won't be able to do all the other things they want to do -- travel, volunteer, spend time with family, etc.

The PreRetirement Web site is still officially in beta, so we haven't been compelled to comment on it publicly. However, since they are now issuing press releases, we'll offer up an assessment.

To be honest, we can't figure out the site's purpose. Sure, it says it is a "trusted resource for adults 50 plus" but that has no meaning without context. The first line of the site says

"You've found the premier guide to making your 50+ "PreRetirement" years the most rewarding stage of your life! You'll find advice, activities, and the most useful online resources to help you plan your future and maximize the present."

So it's a filter through which one can find things online relevant to them at age 50-64? A "guide?" It feels like that, especially when you select one of the 14 options, and then get a chance to "explore useful Web sites." But that promise of being a guide and trusted resource isn't explained well on the Home page, or even within the site itself. As outsiders clicking in for the first time, we were confused and unsure of the site's purpose.

We spoke with Andy Garvin, founder, and shared our observations. Garvin said the goal is to be a guide -- they have a staff reviewing sites and adding them to the resource lists daily. We think Boomers are pretty sophisticated Web surfers and will need to know exactly what the benefit is to them to use PreRetirementLife.com. Right now, it isn't clear enough, in our opinion.

What makes it confusing is that three of the six main navigation options appear to link to ads, product pitches or some sort of sponsored content -- in other words, PreRetirementLife.com exists to sell those 50-64 something. Not be a "trusted" guide. The site doesn't have any banner ads, and there has to be a revenue stream from somewhere, so this isn't surprising. But it is confusing.

We'll watch and see how it develops as it comes out of beta.