According to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau, just shy of 80 million Americans were born between 1946 and 1964. The official first baby boomer started collecting Social Security payments in late 2007, beginning what will be a long and powerful wave of boomers reaching retirement age. As a demographic with more concentrated spending power than any other on the globe, how these individuals invest and spend will have a profound impact on the investment landscape and the U.S. economy as a whole.