Reverse Mortgage

Things that keep us up at night The ramifications on the world economy of Britain leaving the European Union, increasing tensions between China and Russia, a contentious Presidential election, terrorism, the ongoing Middle East crisis, and the global warming debate. All are examples of events that we have little control over but are causing tremendous concerns.

Reverse mortgages have helped tens of thousands of older homeowners avoid serious financial difficulties by converting illiquid home equity into available tax-free cash. Recent changes in this government-insured loan program have helped to significantly reduce the cost while also strengthening protection for the borrower.

By Alain Valles, CRMP The Reverse Mortgage rules changed Oct. 2. For the past 25 years, reverse mortgages have allowed hundreds of thousands of homeowners...

By Alain Valles, MBA, CRMP, CSA Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM), more commonly known as reverse mortgages, were authorized by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and...

By Alain Valles, CRMP No other loan product is wrapped in as much mystery and misinformation as a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), more commonly...

By Alain Valles, CRMP, CSA, MBA For the past 25 years reverse mortgages have allowed hundreds of thousands of homeowners 62 years old or older...

If you are in your 50s or 60s, you most likely are at that stage of your life where college bills and mortgage payments, while perhaps not quite a thing of the past, are well on their way to being just that. You probably are not yet ready to retire, but for many it is closer than ever. Although people are living longer, however, the expenses of life are not declining. And, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), over 23 million older adults are economically insecure, either living at/below poverty or one financial crisis away.

If you’re approaching retirement or hopefully enjoying retirement, there may be a nagging concern of have you done everything possible to minimize your financial risks?  Whether you have professional advisors, do your own planning - or perhaps worse, ignore the entire topic - below are economic areas that can affect your quality of life once you stop working:

I was recently at a local charity event and invariably people asked what I do? My answer is always “I save financial lives by educating people about reverse mortgages and, when appropriated, arrange them.” That’s usually followed by a polite sigh and then the person stating: “Aren’t those bad? Doesn’t the person lose their home to the bank or government? Don’t the kids lose their inheritance? Don’t you have to have no mortgage? Isn’t a reverse mortgage a last resort?” In other words, they’re really asking “Aren’t you just taking advantage of old people?”

If you are like many seniors you may wake up feeling financially stressed. Concern about having enough money, worry about a lingering home repair, or frustration with credit card or real estate tax payments can be a burden. Even worse is the fear of not having enough money if something should happen in the future.