Smoking Linked to Frailty in Seniors

Seniors who smoke may be more likely to become frail, a new British study suggests. Researchers tracked more than 2,500 people 60 and older in England and found that current smoking boosted that risk by about 60 percent. The scientists determined that the participants were frail if they had at least three of five conditions:… [Read More]

More Than Half of Americans Will Need Nursing Home Care: Study

That eclipses the 35 percent estimate used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the researchers added. “Lifetime use of nursing homes is considerably greater than previously thought, mostly due to an increase in short stays of less than three weeks,” said lead researcher Michael Hurd. He is director of the RAND Center… [Read More]

Reverse mortgages an option for seniors feeling stuck in retirement

Reverse mortgages could be an option for seniors who feel like they’re “stuck” in retirement. However, they may not consider this option due to the hurdles that many assume will come with tapping home equity, according to retirement expert Mark Miller, who was featured in an article on MarketWatch. In the article, Miller names home… [Read More]

Are reverse mortgages an option for seniors who want to avoid nursing homes?

The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the senior population is becoming clearer. According to recent estimates reported by the Washington Post, nearly 9 in 10 deaths attributable to COVID-19 were people aged 65 or older. Another pandemic-related point of clarity is related to older Americans who reside in nursing homes. Based on new… [Read More]

Study: 72% of middle-class seniors may not be able to afford assisted living by 2033

A new study released by NORC at the University of Chicago finds that nearly three-quarters of American seniors will be unable to afford assisted living programs by 2033, excluding home equity wealth from the equation. However, even when home equity is included, less than half of seniors will be able to afford such care. “A… [Read More]

Motley Fool: Home Equity a ‘Surprising’ Source of Retirement Income

While Americans have a multitude of potential options and avenues they can use to fund their life after completing a career, many Americans — including current seniors — often find themselves unprepared for retirement. This is why it may be necessary to seek out less traditional sources of retirement funding, and one such potential source… [Read More]

Forbes: Reverse Mortgages Can Help Seniors Pay Down Debt in Retirement

One often overlooked tactic that seniors can employ when seeking to pay down outstanding debt in retirement is the strategic use of a reverse mortgage loan, one of several options that an older American can use when examining their finances during their post-working years. This is according to contributor Bob Sullivan and editor John Schmidt… [Read More]

Half of U.S. Households Face Retirement Risk

Based on the recent release of the Federal Reserve’s 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), as much as half of today’s current American households are at serious risk of not having enough resources in retirement. Some of these risks can be mitigated with financial products including reverse mortgages, but more action is needed to fix… [Read More]

Deciding if a Reverse Mortgage Makes Sense for You

A reverse mortgage, specifically a federal government-sponsored Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), has a lot of moving parts that may make the product concept intimidating for some people. For those who are looking for alternative ways to try and create more cash flow in retirement, there are clear benefits as well as some inherent complexities… [Read More]

USA Today: Reverse Mortgage Could Help Retirees Avoid Exhausting Funds

The judicious use of a reverse mortgage has the potential to aid those at or near retirement in avoiding exhausting their financial resources while on a fixed income, something that is likely of particular interest to those who are concerned of outliving their resources well after they’ve retired from a career. This is according to… [Read More]