Being older than 50 could be the best time of your life

For a start, isn’t it wonderful that everyone is worried about your health? You even get free breastscreening and a free bowel cancer test kit.

And people become more easy to understand because they tend to talk slowly and loudly, while facing you. 

But if you don’t like what they’re saying, you can get away with either pretending not to hear them, or saying something completely inappropriate. 

Don’t feel like going somewhere or doing something? Just say you forgot. No-one will dare blame you.

Plus, after years of scrimping and saving, finally you get to enjoy some financial freedom and benefits.

If you’re over 60, you probably don't go anywhere without your seniors’ card, and you may have also taken advantage of products that are designed specifically for your age group.

We don’t just mean villages for the over 55s (though seriously how good is it to live somewhere with the facilities of a resort without having to do the gardening or put up with noisy kids).

We’re talking about products and services that are specifically designed for older Australians.

Business are increasingly realising the value of a generation that may have paid off their mortgage and have access to their super. 

However this potential market is careful with how they spend their money; a business needs to understand this market and offer the right product.

Take Pennytel for example. This emerging telecommunication service provider re-launched to cater primarily for seniors and designs its products and services to meet this demographic’s needs.

“We recognise that different things matter to older Australians compared to younger generations,” Pennytel CEO Rene Sugo said.

“It is not just the products we offer, but the way we engage with our customers. 

“For example, our website is designed with details such as colour contrast and easily identifiable clickable buttons, to assist those with poor eyesight. 

“We even scored highly on an independent assessment of how easily accessible a website is for older people.

“And unlike some other telcos, we ensure our phone number is easy to find because we know that many people still prefer to call, and even better, speak to a real person. In fact, our staff performance is not measured by the number of calls answered, but instead by how many customer enquiries they resolved in one call, without customers having to call again later,” he said.

He said Pennytel offers mobile phone plans beneficial to older Australians looking for a telco who cares about their customers. Plans are simple and flexible with no contracts, plus you can keep your existing mobile handset and number. 

So make the most of your inherent power as an older member of society. Only accept products that are designed to make your life easier. And remember: old age is ten years older than you.