The minimum age for homeowners to take out a reverse mortgage loan is 62. But what about the maximum age? Is anyone ever too old for this type of home loan? How a reverse mortgage loan works Formally called home equity conversion mortgages, or HECMs, reverse mortgage loans allow borrowers to tap the equity in…

Like it or not, a little housework is good for you. Researchers found that simple daily activities such as doing the dishes or folding clothes may help older women live longer. “Doing something is better than nothing, even when at lower-than-guideline recommended levels of physical activity,” said study lead author Michael LaMonte of the University…

Don’t try saying you’re too or too busy to exercise, especially after that calorie-laden Thanksgiving dinner. Any level of physical activity can reduce seniors’ risk of heart disease, researchers report. The 18-year study included more than 24,000 adults ages 39 to 79. They found a link between physical activity and reduced risk of heart disease…

A low-fat diet may lower older women’s risk of pancreatic cancer, a new study suggests. The study included more than 46,000 overweight and obese women between the ages of 50 and 79 who ate high-fat diets when they joined a clinical trial between 1993 and 1998. Some were assigned to eat less fat and more…

Ladies, slip on your sneakers and walk briskly every day, and you might prolong your life. In a new study, women who logged an average of nearly 70 minutes daily had up to a 70 percent lower risk of death compared to the least active women, who moved just eight minutes a day. The study…

Getting along well with others may do more than just make life less stressful for seniors. A new study suggests that warm, supportive relationships might give a big memory boost to the aging brain. Researchers found that so-called SuperAgers — people 80 or older with the memory powers of those 50 to 65 — were…

CNBC became the latest mass media outlet to tackle the reverse mortgage landscape in the wake of major program changes rolled out last month, warning that the new principal limits and insurance premiums could “put a crimp” in some traditional strategies. In general, the financial news network still comes down on the side of using…

A healthy diet may translate into a healthier old age, researchers report. The scientists followed close to 1,000 men and women in England, who were born in March 1946, throughout their adulthood. Those who ate more fruits, vegetables and whole-grain cereals — and fewer highly processed foods — throughout adulthood did better on three tests…

Reverse mortgages have been around for a long time. It’s a method that an individual can use to convert the equity built up in their home to a credit line or an income for as long as they remain in the home as their primary residence, without the burden of monthly mortgage payments. But up…

Women who undergo cataract surgery may get an unexpected dividend: longer life. That’s the finding from a new study of more than 74,000 U.S. women aged 65 or older, including nearly 42,000 who’d had the eye procedure. According to the study, having had cataract surgery was associated with a 60 percent reduced risk of early…