The Baby-Boom generation is nearing retirement and it is clear that millions of aging Boomers are financially under prepared. Reasons are many - poor savings habits, rising medical costs, the demise of guaranteed corporate pensions, and the dreaded squeeze faced by many: i.e. having to pay college costs for their children, care for their elderly parents, and save for retirement, all at the same time.
The outlook is not entirely bleak, however. One bright spot that may help Baby-Boomers achieve secure a retirement is the record high-level of home ownership and the related growth in home equity. Home equity, the difference between debt owed on a home loan and the value of a home, accounts for at least fifty percent of net wealth for more
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This strategy makes even more sense when you consider that maintenance costs and the headaches of a large family-home are done away with for the retiree. Yet emotional attachment to a home is strong and we all know retirees who simply refuse to move from the home they have lived in for so many years.
2. Reverse Mortgage - Retirees remaining in their homes can still tap their home equity as a source of retirement income. An entire industry has grown up around the "reverse mortgage" concept which allows seniors over 62 to tap into their home 's value without making any repayments during their lifetime. A reverse mortgage (also known as a HECM - Home Equity Conversion Mortgage) requires no monthly payment. The payment stream is "reversed": instead of making monthly payments to a lender, a lender makes payments to you, typically for the remainder of your life, if you continue to reside in the home.
Origination fees and closing costs for reverse mortgages are high. Some people try to avoid these fees by instead borrowing against their home equity for retirement living expenses with a regular home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC). However, this is not always a smart strategy. The reason is that with either a conventional home equity loan or a HELOC loan, you will have to make regular monthly payments that may be at a higher interest rate than can be earned on the loan proceeds without undue risk. Also,
In 2008, 78 million baby boomers will turn age 62 and qualify for a reverse mortgage. These seniors have 4 trillion dollars in home equity available to them in an illiquid asset, their house. In fact, these retirees have 50% of their net worth tied up in their homes. Estimates indicate that there is a target population of some 15 million senior households that both qualify for and are good potential candidates for the Department of Housing and Urban Development 's home equity conversion mortgage (HECM)program. The HECM is when a lender advances, a senior age 62 or older and a current homeowner, money based on the houses equity. The senior homeowner can take the cash as a monthly payment all at once in a single lump sum of cash, as a
Yuh, Montalto, and Hanna (1998) investigated the determinants of the likelihood of having adequate retirement wealth for pre-retirment households. Households were included in the study if the respondent was
A reverse mortgage could prove to be the best solution for seniors who have plenty of equity in their homes and little savings to handle their day to day living expenses. Since a reverse mortgage does not require any monthly payments, the money which seniors receive does not create any new financial obligations.
On the flip side, if there is equity in your home and you wish to sell or refinance it you keep the equity, not the reverse mortgage lender. The same holds true for your heirs who may choose to refinance the home and keep it or sell it and get its equity if the home value is greater than the reverse mortgage payoff. In the vast majority of the time the home still has equity remaining when the borrower passes away. For more information explaining how the equity growth works see "what will happen to my equity"
If you're near retirement age, you might be looking into information about a reverse mortgage on your home. A reverse mortgage allows you to get the equity out of your home so you have extra funds for retirement, and the benefit is that you can continue living in your home. Here are a few things you may want to know.
Data is cited showing that, in an aging population, individuals rely on state support in their retirement years. Suggested policies include financial literacy programs, delayed retirement, automated personal saving, and financial advisory reform. Nishiyama et al. (2014) proposes that a key problem regarding personal savings, assets, and retirement are the very state funded programs designed to help retirees. The research concludes that median income levels among the Boomer generation will not be able to support it’s level of “consumption based on it’s own assets” (Nishiyama et al. p. 65) in the retirement years. In conclusion, this study asserts that the financial education and reflexive retirement delay components provide the most broad and effective measures to mitigate budget shortfalls in an aging
A retirement crisis can be seen looming on the horizon. Countless financial writers have interviewed analysts and actuaries documenting studies showing a large percentage of American workers will be financially unprepared for retirement. The effects will be devastating for an aging population facing increasing life expectancies. The cost to the U.S. economy and to those still working to support the financially
When it comes to selling one's home after taking a reverse mortgage, many seniors find much of the available reverse mortgage information confusing. The fact is seniors can choose to sell their homes at any time, but they should be aware that doing so will make their loan due. To get the most from the investment,
To Retirees Who Dream To Be Mortgage Free For Life But Unable To Get Started
ratio over 40% is considered troublesome. Also, compared to the 1995 and 2004 pre-retirees, the 2013 pre-retiree’s debt-to-income ratio exceeds the previous cohorts. However, the mean monthly total debt payment is lower for the 2013 cohort as compared to the 2004 pre-retirees. This may be a direct result of the decline in income for the 2013 cohort. In addition, the mortgage debt-to-income ratio for the 2013 pre-retirees increased over the measurement periods between 1995 and 2013. Moreover, the mortgage debt-to-income ratio for the 2013 pre-retirees increased as compared to the 1995 and 2004 pre-retiree cohorts. This observation provides evidence that the current group of pre-retirees has increased their mortgage debt over time and they
You can use a reverse mortgage as a retirement tool. Which is better, a home equity line of credit or reverse mortgage?
Reverse mortgages are a revolutionary way of achieving financial freedom while on retirement. It does not put strain on the individual through payment of costly monthly installments, and provide a person loved ones with a cushion incase anything goes wrong. It also has lower interest rates. Despite the fact that it is one of the loan products that fits well for senior citizen, numerous people do not understand how it works.
Most of the seniors fix their core focus on the "reverse mortgages". No doubt, it is a trustworthy resort for the seniors after the retirement. This aspect will give them the liberty to live freely and without any dependence. The difference is the rates that are associated with these mortgage options. They sing a different tune.
The major motivation is to help homeowners (usually older borrowers who may be retired) who want to receive a cash flow from the equity in their home. For these homeowners a reverse mortgage is the best way of achieving their goal. More details are supplied below. Reverse mortgages are designed for senior homeowners who want to convert their home equity into cash. Fannie Mae, for instance, offers two types of reverse mortgages for senior borrowers. The Home Keeper Mortgage is an adjustable-rate conventional reverse mortgage for borrowers who are at least 62 years of age, and who either own the home outright or have a low amount of unpaid principal balance, (Sheedy, 2013).The other type of reverse mortgage, Home Keeper for Home Purchase, enables senior borrowers to buy a new home with a combination of personal funds and a calculated amount of reverse mortgage that is based upon the borrower’s age, number of borrowers, the adjusted property value, and the equity share option chosen.
In answer to "what is reverse mortgage", this is actually a private type of loan but one that is insured by the federal government. What makes a reverse mortgage unique is that a portion of the equity in the home is converted to cash, which can then be used by the homeowner in whatever way they see fit. Because qualifications and restrictions are associated with a reverse mortgage, it is used by the elderly, many times as a means of financial security.