1. Gen X invented the internet

Okay, that's a lie. But way before Mark Zuckerberg invented social media, we put our flannel-clad minds to work creating cool stuff like Google, Wikipedia, YouTube and more. You know, the stuff that makes web surfing awesome (because we DID invent that).

So when you're thinking about your website, your mobile app and your social platforms, remember that according to a Forrester study, 74% of Gen Xers bank on the internet, 95% have Facebook pages and 25% tweet regularly, because connection is what social media is all about. We're into connection, too. We'll give you a shout out on Yelp! or other sites – are you listening?

2. We're tired of being overlooked

Did you know that the oldest Gen Xers were almost 30 before anyone even came up with a name for us? It's okay, we're used to it … but it's getting old. And so are we. But we're coming into the sweet spot of our earning years – we'll double our share of overall U.S. wealth to 31% by 2030, according to the Deloitte University Press, which also means our financial assets will be nearly double that of millennials (nyah nyah).

Now what Gen X needs is a good, trusted source to grow, manage and borrow money to start living the good life they've been working toward. And that sounds like a great time to find out why you shouldn't overlook the fact that you're a credit union, not a bank, right?

3. We're supporting three generations.

As the first and last true latchkey generation, we grew up in a culture of adults – and then created a culture of family. We don't climb the corporate ladder with the same gusto as our parents, but we're trying to manage money to provide great family experiences, hopefully send our kids to college and be ready to care for Mom and Dad if they need it. That doesn't happen without some good financial decision making and planning, from exactly how to navigate college loans to when it's time to consider long-term care insurance. Gen X will look to you for good strong products and advice, because we're gonna need it.

4. We are the women of Gen X – hear us roar

Gen X women were the first generation to outnumber men in our college years, and today most Gen X women are working, the majority of them full-time or more, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means more paychecks, more bonuses, more taxes to manage and maybe some financial challenges. Is your credit union paying attention?

You want it to be, as you save up that cash to buy a house, too. Today Gen X represents 27% of both the buyers' and sellers' market, and we're deep in the upsizing phase of our homeownership careers, according to the National Association of Realtors. And we're here to help answer the primal roar of homeownership desire.

Now, to be fair, every generation needs financial security. We don't really begrudge the boomers their volume or the millennials their idealism. But Gen X deserves a little recognition from the marketing world – and deserves to see the value a credit union provides that a bank can't. We even hope you play Nirvana in the lobby. It's not pandering – we miss Kurt Cobain too.

Jacqi Bjordahl is strategy director/partner at Hiebing. She can be reached at 608-256-6357 or [email protected].