As the industry eagerly awaits the introduction of new proprietary reverse mortgages, jumbo loan originators credit these products with helping borrowers in a variety of situations—some more predictable than others. For a jumbo borrower, the needs are often very similar to those of a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage borrower, said Christina Harmes, a certified reverse…

Read More

A hearing aid can set you back as much as $7,000, and that’s the main reason more Americans don’t use one, a new study finds. The report also suggests that many people are too embarrassed to wear one. No matter the reason, it’s troubling, one study author said, because poor hearing can hurt people in…

Read More

USA Today listed reverse mortgages among multiple potential options for retirees to build their nest eggs, specifically pointing to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage’s line-of-credit feature. Citing Kerry Uffman, founder of TWRU Private Wealth Management in Baton Rouge, La., writer Robert Powell positioned the product as a potential solution for long-term savings shortfalls. “Having a…

Read More

If you want to counter the physical costs of getting old, regular exercise might be your best option, researchers report. The findings “debunk the assumption that aging automatically makes us more frail,” said researcher Janet Lord. She is director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham in England. In the…

Read More

The statistics about the waves of baby boomers turning 65 each day are old news to anyone who works in a senior-focused industry. But a new report from Harvard University adds a new twist to measuring the coming wave of American seniors: In 2035, households with members aged 65 and older will account for a…

Read More

Lifestyle, ease of upkeep, and proximity to family are main criteria for seniors who choose a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage for Purchase loan, many originators agreed. Christina Harmes, assistant manager for C2 Reverse in San Diego, said she has clients looking to upsize, downsize, move to the city or relocate to the country, but most…

Read More

Putting just a bit less on your dinner plate each day might be key to a longer life, preliminary research suggests. People who reduced their caloric intake by just 15 percent over two years experienced a significant decrease in their metabolism, according to a small clinical trial. These folks also saw improvements in biomarkers associated…

Read More

Reverse mortgages have been increasingly pitched as a way to stave off the effects of so-called “gray divorce,” and a new research brief shows just how a split can put both parties’ retirement futures at risk — and how home equity benefits one demographic in particular. Households in which at least one party had previously…

Read More

Rising household wealth held by older adults in recent years have put today’s seniors in a better position to tap home equity for retirement purposes. But increasing housing debt among this population could hinder their ability to use home equity to improve retirement security in the future, according to new research from the Urban Institute.…

Read More

It’s well-known that exercise benefits the brain as well as the heart and muscles, but new research pinpoints just how much — and what types — of exercise may promote thinking skills as you age. Reviewing data from dozens of studies on older adults, scientists found that those who exercised an average of at least…

Read More