Do these lyrics written by The Who sound familiar? “I’m not trying to cause a big s-s-sensation. I’m just talkin’ bout my g-g-g-generation. This is my generation. This is my generation, baby.”

Written in the 1960s, this song was about the contrast of generational differences.

More than 50 years have passed since this song’s release, and these generational differences not only continue to exist, but in some ways may have expanded due to the many generations that concurrently coexist in today’s society.

The Silent Generation (born 1928-1945) lived through the Great Depression and World War II. The Baby Boomers (1946-1964) experienced the post-World War II economic boom as well as the oil embargo and high inflation in the 1970s.

Our Gen Xers (1965-1981) remember the market crash of 1987, the recession of the 1980s and the long 1990s bull market run that ended when the dot-com bubble burst.

Millennials (1982-2000) were children when the Sept. 11 attacks occurred, were witness to the Great Recession of 2008-2009 and are part of the student loan crisis.

Post-Millennials (born after 2000) have some idea about the housing crisis and great recession as children.

The shared attitudes of these five distinct generations affect the financial markets and sectors of the economy, as well as the way we as a country spend, save, invest and accumulate wealth.

With multitudes of Baby Boomers entering retirement, Millennials are now the largest demographic in the U.S. workforce. This signals a shift in consumer patterns as well as investment allocation.

Baby Boomers were the first generation to be introduced to do-it-yourself retirement plans, such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s, and they control more than half the wealth in the U.S.

Their concerns include how to transition their wealth in a tax-efficient manner, the high costs of health care, and how to make the savings last for what could be an extended retirement.

Gen Xers were introduced to personal computers in school or the workplace, but some are old enough to remember the predigital age.

This generation, like their Baby Boomer counterparts, are often caring for aging parents while saving for their children’s education costs, or may even still be repaying their own student loans.

They will likely face long retirements which lead to high health care costs and questions surrounding the sustainability of Social Security and Medicare.

This generation has the largest average household income, is comfortable with technology and enjoys state-of-the-art gadgets.

Millennials are expected to shape our economic and political future during the next several decades.

They grew up in a fast-paced environment. Certain sectors are poised to benefit as Millennials form households and seek work/life balance.

The proverbial generation gap may actually be narrowing as the trend in family interactions, the workplace, financial markets and social media platforms continue to flourish and connect across generations.

As a society, we have transitioned away from traditional brick-and-mortar retailers and moved toward online shopping.

In the workplace, automation and robotics technology continue to increase and reshape many industries, stripping some workers of their livelihood while creating new opportunities for others.

Technology has also advanced data analytics and thus the delivery of tailored products to the investing public which encompasses all generations.

A study of investment habits across the generations, when compared to the allocation of Target Date Funds, reveals that all generations tend to have too much uninvested cash on hand, too much equity exposure for the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers, and too little Fixed Income for all generations except for the Millennials who tend to have too much fixed income.

Investing is a dynamic endeavor and each generation must strive to match its asset allocation with its investment objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon and cash-flow needs.

Whatever your generation, undergo a financial checkup and assess your own situation.

Achieving your financial goals begins with a well-defined plan, and a commitment to sticking to that plan over time. Just talkin’ bout my generation — whichever one you may be.

Wendy Bennett is a senior financial adviser in Butler.