My blogs have been, and always will be, politically neutral. And when changes to government regulations affect what I do, I simply do my best to explain how those changes impact homeowners and my role as a reverse mortgage professional. So, let me be the first to explain how the Supreme Court ruling on marriage […]
As it turns out, Ben Franklin didn’t really discover electricity. While many still believe he did, it’s simply not true. Just like this common fallacy, the complex reverse mortgage program is highly misunderstood. This was the primary reason I wrote the book, Understanding Reverse. It’s also why many reverse mortgage providers feature top reverse mortgage […]
Consider a doctor explaining that “A blood vessel wall was damaged, causing a series of reactions to take place which stimulated platelets, resulting in coagulation in your body. You have thrombophlebitis in your lower leg, a condition we call deep vein thrombosis.” The doctor may be technically correct. But it may be more appropriate to […]
The money experts on TV and radio have never fully understood Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) and the proper use of these reverse mortgages. From Dave Ramsey to Suze Orman, they have not taken the time to listen to researchers within their own financial planning community who regularly publish papers on the advantages of this […]
“Financial planners, advisors, CPA’s, estate planners, and other finance professionals are realizing that obtaining a Reverse Mortgage EARLY opens up potential income later in retirement. The basic premise is that the growing line of credit (LOC) is not taxed on its growth, and is a secure collection of funds that can act as a second […]
Since 2013, the federally-insured reverse mortgage program has gone through so many dramatic changes that it’s no longer the reverse mortgage everyone thought it was. Some of the changes added consumer protections, while others radically altered the way reverse mortgages are obtained. Unfortunately, many perfect candidates will continue to believe that the reverse mortgage is […]
Most successful blogs are infused with a little humor. Parenting blogs are funny. Kids say the darndest things. Other blogs are designed to enrage you. Sometimes I don’t know if I should laugh or cry at the political ones. However, other blogs are designed to educate, inform, and explain. Mine would fall into that category. […]
Building a personal collection of rare items can be quite entertaining. Some of the most commonly collected items are pocket knives, comic books, sports cards, and postage stamps. While I have a small, but growing collection of coins, I may have the most obscure collection of all – reverse mortgage questions. I do collect them, […]
“The mortgagee must evaluate the mortgagor’s willingness and capacity to timely meet his or her financial obligations and to comply with the mortgage requirements.” – Mortgagee Letter 2014-21 If you have not already heard, the federally insured reverse mortgage program is going through another major change effective March 2, 2015 called Financial Assessment. For the […]
“Being able to recognize the alternate uses of home equity in retirement requires one to take a long-term financial-planning view. Remember, the program was not initially designed as a short-term, quick fix. It was designed for two purposes – a monthly stream of income or a line of credit for future use.” – […]
“Historically, the principal limit has been a measure of what HUD says a borrower with certain factors is able to borrow at closing. After the September 2013 changes to the program, however, that definition is not quite accurate. Homeowners may be restricted in the amounts they can borrow up-front. Fortunately, with the adjustable rate products, […]
“Whether households have sufficient savings from which to ensure adequate income throughout retirement is a concern of households and, therefore, policymakers. Although most households are eligible to receive Social Security benefits in retirement, over the past 30 years, the types of non-Social Security sources of retirement income have been changing.” – John J. Topoleski, […]
Last week, I wrote a piece that violated my personal blogging guidelines – it exceeded 700 words. Worse yet, I couldn’t wrap up the topic in one blog, and had to split it in two. I fully recognize that Dave Ramsey has credibility on a national scale. But don’t take his word as gospel on […]
Best-selling author, and nationally syndicated radio personality, Dave Ramsey, has helped millions of individuals find financial peace with his sound budgeting advice. While this is worthy of applause, the mainstream financial planning community regularly disagrees with his guidance. The Motley Fool even describes his retirement planning advice as “dangerous.” It saddens me that while reverse mortgage […]
“Top executives and related professionals in the mortgage industry are encouraging friends and family members to obtain Reverse Mortgages. In many cases this is happening even when a homeowner has no immediate need for one. Could there be significant non-traditional uses for Reverse Mortgages that create an advantage for more than just the desperate and […]
