In spite of declined reverse mortgage endorsements observed in calendar year 2019, the reverse mortgage industry continues to feel general optimism for the trajectory of the business in the early days of 2020. Sources of general optimism include the increasing prevalence of proprietary reverse mortgage products, the signing of new financial legislation and a generally […]
Late last year, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance convened a hearing to discuss merits and possible areas of improvement in the federal Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program. Featuring a panel of witnesses that included academic and government researchers along with the then-president of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders […]
A new in-depth article published by USA Today takes aim at legal and financial difficulties faced by the heirs of reverse mortgage borrowers when trying to pay off the loan balance in order to keep the affected properties. Based on input from over 100 “tips” submitted to the outlet after its look at reverse mortgage […]
After American Advisors Group (AAG) released its latest television commercials in July and August, respectively, the reverse mortgage industry was buzzing with activity. After sharing the July Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM)-focused ad on social media, originators, brokers, counselors and more seemed to see actor Tom Selleck not just as a spokesman for AAG, but […]
The reverse mortgage industry continues to face headwinds in terms of widespread acceptance among financial planning professionals, but the growing prevalence of proprietary products and a growing base of both affluent and middle-income borrowers will go a long way in signaling how viable the products can be as tools for financial planning. “Most of the […]
Gray divorce, a term used to describe a divorce that takes place for couples over the age of 50, continues to rise in the United States. According to 2017 data compiled by the Pew Research Center, the rates of gray divorce have doubled since 1990, and the reverse mortgage industry has taken notice by viewing […]
Last week, the Federal Reserve announced that it would be cutting interest rates for the first time since the onset of the 2008 financial crisis. The move was made in an effort to preserve the growth currently observed in the United States economy. The full effect of the rate cut is still to be determined, […]
The future of the proprietary reverse mortgage market could be coming a lot sooner than some people think, since it’s entirely possible that the recent propagation of new, private alternatives to the federal government’s long-standing Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program could be eclipsed by private alternatives as soon as this year. This is according […]
Even before USA Today published an article this month taking aim at reverse mortgages and the associated industry’s practices, the news outlet had previously published articles that relate caution to its readers concerning the idea of engaging in a reverse transaction. One such article was posted back in April, and a prominent industry expert has […]
It’s no secret to anyone that works within it that the reverse mortgage industry deals, on a regular basis, with reputational challenges that impede the ability of loan officers to connect with potential borrowers. While many of these difficulties have been persistent for years, recent developments up to and including greater acceptance of the product […]
