More loans. It's the battle cryof almost every credit union in America, if not all of them.

Thankfully, loan growth is the strongest it's been since thefinancial crisis. Equifax announced Aug. 29 that credit cardbalances increased year-over-year for the first time in five years.Auto financing, student loans and purchase mortgages are showingpromise.

And the NCUA reported Aug. 29 that loans were up 2.3% in thesecond quarter. Outstanding loan balances have increased by 5.5%during the past four quarters, the strongest 12-month growth sincethe start of 2009.

It's great news, but I'm concerned credit unions aren'tmarketing to the right demographics to leverage the economicrecovery. The entire credit union industry continues to focus ontwo generations that have little lending potential: boomers and GenY.

We're even guilty of it here at Credit UnionTimes—although, under my watch, that will change. Our 2013editorial calendar includes an Oct. 9 feature section on boomerservices, and a Nov. 13 issue that will focus on Gen Y.

But we're doing nothing about Gen X this year.

Don't be fooled by all the talk about Gen X being small and Iguess by extension, not worthy of a strategic marketing effort.True, fewer babies were born between 1965 and 1981 than the 20years before and after that period. However, a big reason why Gen Xhas drastically fewer numbers is because the dates that define thegeneration are usually shorted.

In theory, generations are supposed to span 20 years. The boomergeneration decidedly began when WWII ended, so boomers are thoughtto have been born between 1946 and 1965. Likewise, Millennials areoften defined as being born between 1981 and 2000.

That leaves only 1966 to 1980 for Gen X. That's a 25% reductionin the years that span the other generations.

I get emails all the time that pitch Gen Y stories and claim thegeneration includes young adults from age 18 to as old as 40. Now,if you're about to retire, 40 may seem young in comparison. Butwhen you're talking about lifecycle marketing, 40 is not a youngadult. And certainly, marketing aimed at a 20-year-old is not goingto make much of an impression on a 40-year-old.

And then there's Generation Jones, who were born between thelate 50s and 1965, and are considered by many to be boomers.Granted, most folks that age didn't cuddle Cabbage Patch dolls orwatch He-Man cartoons. However, they also don't have a lot incommon with Vietnam War vets, and they barely remember such iconicboomer events such as the death of John F. Kennedy or the moonlanding.

But they do remember the launch of MTV.

Consider these celebrities and their birthdates: Judd Nelson(1959), Scott Baio (1960), Emilio Estevez (1961), Jon Bon Jovi(1962), Brad Pitt (1962), Michael Jordan (1963), Melissa Gilbert(1964) and Shania Twain (1965). Those ain't boomers, folks. EvenPresident Obama, born in 1961, said he identifies with Gen X.

I write this knowing that many will simply shake their heads andthink to themselves, here we go again—another Gen Xer desperate forattention.

To that I say: like, whatever.

I don't care what you think about Gen X. As a conference speakersaid earlier this year, Gen X has issues. I'll own that. I mean, ifyou have to tie your house key around a little kid's neck becausehe or she might lose it, maybe that kid is too young to be homealone.

But that's not the point.

I care that credit unions increase their lending market share asthe economy recovers, and so should you. Without loans, creditunions will have to resort to fees to pay operating expenses. Notonly does this conflict with the credit union philosophy, but withthe industry tax status potentially under attack and the CFPBscrutinizing payday loans and overdrafts, fee income carries a lotmore risk than reputation.

Consider that most Gen Xers are going to move into seniormanagement in the next five to 10 years, which means they'll beearning more money. Here at Credit Union Times, Gen Xalready runs the show. True, many Gen Xers have poor financialhabits, but plenty more are responsible. Even the ones who foundthemselves underwater on their mortgages or up to theirtriple-pierced ears in credit card debt have resolved thosesituations, and may have learned a little personal responsibilityalong the way.

With Boomers retiring and Gen Y's underemployed status anddistaste for debt, if you want loans, you have little choice but topay more attention to Gen X.