For those well into their mid-life crisis Saga, the insurance and whatever else you need when you’re over 50 company, is a useful operation to have around.

Although I do qualify for their services and products, I always find them a tad more expensive than mainstream competitors. Nor do I like belonging to a marketing niche – for me, it’s the same as being branded with a hot iron – I’ve never fancied it.

But, Saga has a large and no doubt happy customer base who they help to enjoy cruises and holidays, home and motor insurance, and savings and share dealing services.

 
 

And the venerable company has marked its 65th year operation in 2017 with some lovely factoids for us. These come from research which, fair play to them, involved asking more than 100 random people who could be bothered to answer an online form. It gets a little wearing to hear companies trumpet the latest revelation which will shock us to the core and then find out that they asked five people down the pub. This, by the way, is what’s known as qualative, rather than quantative research. It’s less expensive and involves less work.

No, Saga managed to ask over 9,000 people and point out, with some satisfaction, that these were all aged over 50.

Now, did you know (Michael Caine voice – those over 50 will know who he is), that this lot of people, who I suppose we take to be indicative of their age group, spend almost one fifth of their disposable income on holidays. I know, amazing!

 
 

And, get this, that there’s been a 10 fold increase in air travel between 1956 and 2015 to 2.4 million in 2015. Tell me about it – you only have to visit Gatwick (a shopping centre with a runway) to see how much time we spend in the air these days.

There’s a load of other stuff Saga say in their research report, but I’m guessing six out of ten people won’t what to know all that. If you do, and you’re over 50, ask them for it.

But I’ll leave you with this observation from them: “…research, into today’s package holiday bucket list conducted by Saga shows that over a third of us feel more empowered and adventurous than we did 10 years ago. Top of the things we want to tick off our 2017 bucket lists include seeing the Northern Lights (26%),  going on a luxury cruise (16%), visiting Australia and New Zealand (16%) and seeing the Great Wall of China (14%). Driving Route 66 or exploring the Great Barrier Reef (both 14%) are also on the hot list.”

 
 

Blimey, we over 50s know how to ‘partay’, don’t we? If that list is deemed adventurous, what on earth were we doing ten years ago?

Still, lets wish Saga a happy birthday and a very special year. Long may they continue giving over 50s an exciting time.

 

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