When seniors need to free up cash, they often look to their retirement plans. Many don’t even consider tapping into the value of their homes – a feat easily achieved through the use of a reverse mortgage. A reverse mortgage is a loan that allows homeowners aged 62 and older to convert part of the…

Exercise can reduce the risk of heart damage in middle-aged adults and seniors — even in those who are obese, according to a new study. “The protective association of physical activity against [heart] damage may have implications for heart failure risk reduction, particularly among the high-risk group of individuals with excess weight,” study lead author…

Older people are at higher risk for fall-related injuries because bone density and muscle mass diminish over time. But regular exercise can help keep them on their feet, research suggests. More than 800 Americans break a hip each day, usually because of a fall, said Dr. Christopher Sciamanna, an internist at Penn State Hershey Medical…

CNBC included reverse mortgages in a list of “innovative approaches” to protecting retirees’ portfolios in down times, citing a financial advisor who said he and his colleagues would be “remiss” if they didn’t suggest Home Equity Conversion Mortgages as a potential option. Rob O’Dell, a certified financial planner in the Naples, Fla. office of the…

As the American population ages, experts have increasingly pointed to home equity as a key source of retirement income — even as many older homeowners remain hesitant to tap into it for reasons that continue to confound both academics and players in the mortgage industry. Steven Sass, a research economist at Boston College’s Center for…

Most people see their sleep habits shift as they age, but a new review suggests that some seniors lose the ability to get deep, restorative rest. And that can come with health consequences, said review author Bryce Mander, a sleep researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. Sleep “fragmentation” has been linked to a number…

Dubbing reverse mortgages “the Rodney Dangerfield of retirement,” CBS MoneyWatch touted the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program for the second time in a week. Steve Vernon, a consulting research scholar for the Stanford Center on Longevity at Stanford University, rounded up the recent scholarly research on reverse mortgages for CBS readers, breaking the ice with…

Citing the growing cabal of pro-reverse mortgage academics and the story of one Mississippi homeowner, CBS News’ MoneyWatch called Home Equity Conversion Mortgages “a smart way for seniors to tap home equity” in an article published yesterday. MoneyWatch writer Kathy Kristof tells the story of Richard Blackmon, a 70-year-old Magnolia State retiree who initially thought…

Regular exercise is potent medicine for older adults with heart disease, a new American Heart Association scientific statement says. Physical activity should be a key part of care for older adults with heart disease who want to reduce their symptoms and build their stamina, said geriatric cardiologist Dr. Daniel Forman. He’s chair of the panel…

In a nationally syndicated housing advice column, writer Benny L. Kass responded to a question from a couple of 65-year-old homeowners who need “money to pay for some personal matters,” and were curious about whether to take out Home Equity Conversion Mortgage credit line or a traditional “forward” home equity line of credit, or HELOC.…