Fear of a Reverse Mortgage
Fear can be paralyzing.
Before the housing crash, a number of people I talked to about the possibility of a Reverse Mortgage decided not to do it. Sometimes they refinanced with a regular loan, took all the cash and used that to live on and make the payments. Others had adult children who pointed out the Reverse Mortgage was 'too expensive' and they could accomplish the same thing by taking out an Equity Line with no upfront costs. Those borrowers drew from the line to meet their needs. Because cash flow was an issue they also had to draw from the line to make the payments. Others had neighbors, probably meaning well by passing on a rumor they heard who said, "I hear those reverse mortgages are bad. They are too expensive and they'll take your house from you." So they were afraid and did nothing. But doing nothing is making a decision.
Unfortunately, many of those people lost their homes in the crash. I know because I follow up with people that have come to me requesting information on a Reverse Mortgage. In the cases where they borrowed money to keep up, there came a time when they ran out of funds to keep making the payments and it was no longer easy to refinance and get more. Many of them came to me to see if we could do a Reverse Mortgage but by then there wasn't enough equity so, if they weren't underwater, they sold and moved (which they didn't really want to do). Those who did nothing sometimes were in the same position. Others are still waiting for there to be enough equity so they can do a Reverse Mortgage. But things have changed and it still isn't working out for many.
I wish I could have found a way to convince them, in advance, that the Reverse Mortgage was nothing to fear and it could very well have been the best situation for them. I'm not good at 'twisting arms' so when I got a 'no', I left it at that. I wish . . .
Recently I read an article in a publication called The Reverse Review. This is a monthly for Reverse Mortgage professionals. It provides information in detail about changes, ethics and the right way to help our clients. One of those articles was titled, "Allaying Fears About the Use of Home Equity" by Harlan Accola. Harlan is a Loan Originator licensed in Wisconsin and Indiana. He has a website at reversemortgagetime.com . He gave me permission to publish it on my website.
My first inclination was to modify his words so it was talking to you rather than being directed to other loan originators. But I felt it was more proper to let him use his own words and that you were mature enough to hear one loan originator talking to other loan originators.
Here is Harlan Accola's article: (I think I would have left out the word 'senior' when used below. The sentence would stand without it. But that is just me, being a 'senior' but not answering to it.)
In my 10 years of reverse
mortgage experience, the biggest mystery to me has been why so many
clients are so emotional - and downright fearful - about using their
home equity to have a better retirement, but they think nothing of
taking money out of IRAs or other retirement vehicles.
Let's start with the facts. The average senior
has half their net worth tied up in their home. If that money is off
limits, then they have to make do with half a retirement. However,
experienced advisors know that if this equity is put into an
increasing line of credit with a HECM at age 62, it can double or
triple when the client gets to their 80s and 90s, just when they may
need the money most. More importantly, if the reverse line of credit
withdrawals are used at the same time as IRAs and annuities, then all
of that
It is a clear and safe choice for most seniors.
So why have only 2 to 3 percent of eligible seniors taken out a
reverse mortgage? I believe it is because of fear and emotion,
because it is obviously not math and logic.
In this article, I will attempt to define the
"why" behind this mental block and suggest ways that originators can
help clients break past that fear and rely on logic instead of
emotion when deciding how best to use all of their retirement
assets.
Fear No. 1 – I’m afraid I
won’t be able to pass my home “free and clear” to the next
generation. I feel I am
shortchanging my heirs.
Fear No.2 - I'm afraid the
bank will kick me out of my home in my later years, and if they
don't, I'll be upside down on the mortgage. (There is an intense
fear of losing equity that seems to outweigh gaining cash.)
Fear No.3 - Conventional
Wisdom: This isn't how it was done in the past, and I fear new
products. Home equity is my "sacred cow."
Fear No.4 - I fear this is a loan of last
resort, and if I do it, it's a sign that I've failed in my
retirement planning. Besides, no one else is doing it. In fact, my
cousin, attorney, newspaper, etc. said I should stay away from them.
Here are some answers we can give our senior
clients when these fears are raised.
Responding to Fear No.1: The
Next Generation
An article by Ron Lieber appeared in The New
York Times on September 19,2014, titled "Parents, the Children Will
Be Fine. Spend Their Inheritance Now." It evoked some emotional
comments that tell you how strongly the public feels about this
topic. To combat this, we must encourage our clients to get their
children involved early. The majority of adult children tell their
parents, "Mom, Dad, take care of yourselves. It is your money and
you should spend it. If there is some left, we will appreciate it,
but we don't expect it." Parents who hear that from their children
feel more comfortable about going on the cruise or spending a little
more on dinners out.
But there is a larger issue here. If parents
truly want to leave their children an inheritance, real estate is
not the most efficient way to do it. They can leave them cash, life
insurance or other investment accounts that are immediately useful.
Real estate requires cash for taxes, maintenance and utilities and
may take years to sell. Besides, everyone knows someone who lost a
"free and clear" house to long-term care expenses at the end of
their life. And, our clients need to be reminded that only 1 to 2
percent of children actually keep their parents' home-most sell it
as fast as they can. Why not just give them the cash in the first
place and spend the home equity? In fact, instead of making your
mortgage payment, send the check to your children. If the goal is to
give home equity to responsible children, don't wait; do it now!
Responding to Fear No.2: I'll
Lose my Home
We must remind our senior clients a dozen times
that they cannot lose their home because of the mortgage balance.
Period. Be transparent. Show them what happens if they use all their
credit line, if home values soar with inflation or crash with
deflation. Explain what "non-recourse" means. Furthermore, explain
the non-borrowing spouse issue and how it is no longer a factor
since the FHA rule change in August of this year (2014). Give examples of
some of your clients who have passed away owing more than the value
of their home and how the family benefited from the HECM that was in
place. Remind them that the reverse mortgage is the only mortgage in
the world that is owed by the house - not a person or the heirs. And
if the house doesn't have enough money at the end, the FHA insurance
fund pays the difference. Many seniors think of a HECM as risky when
in reality there is is no safer financial product out there.
Responding to Fear No.3:
Conventional Wisdom
It is critical that we separate the home from
the home equity. You can safely spend your home equity and yet stay
in your home for the rest of your life, so long as you continue to
pay your taxes just like you would if you didn't have a mortgage.
Here, it is helpful to ask your client a few questions: Do you
really want to retire with half the amount of money that you have in
your net worth? Do you want to leave stacks of cash in your living
room, untouched? The IRA is no more sacred than your home equity. In
fact, in some instances it is a little more dangerous to use because
when you take out too much, you may lose a portion to taxes, while
your reverse line of credit has no taxable effects. You have spent
your working life putting money into your IRA and retirement
accounts so you could have it at the end of your life. You have done
the same as you pumped cash into your home by making payments,
taking care of maintenance, paying taxes, etc. Now the reverse
mortgage is nothing more than a tool to access the money (home
equity) you have saved for retirement. The government has created a
guaranteed means to access those funds. The home is still sacred and
kept safe, and the equity is spendable. We need to help our clients
see the difference. Home is where the heart is, but home equity is
where the money is!
Responses to Fear No.4: The
Loan of Last Resort
After we have addressed all the emotions that
come to light when discussing the first three concerns, the fourth
concern needs to be addressed using logic and facts. Lots of
research has been done in the area of wealth management and all of
us are (or should be) familiar with Sacks, Salter, Evensky and Texas
Tech University. The research has been documented in the Journal of
Financial Planning over the last couple of years. The best time to
get a reverse mortgage is at 62 and, while we can help someone who
is 92 and in foreclosure, we could have helped our client avoid a
disaster if they had come to use well before the reverse was needed.
Buy the umbrella before it starts to rain. While all of us feel good
about saving a senior's home from foreclosure, it makes a lot more
sense to avoid the accident before it happens. Be prepared with this
information. Make sure you fully understand it so you can explain it
your client. Better yet, be prepared to educate the attorney,
financial planner, insurance agent, accountant, etc. If a client
tells me that someone else told them a reverse mortgage is not
something for them, I always ask who it is and then try to schedule
a meeting with that person so that I can stop misinformation at the
source. If all of us do this, armed with the correct information, we
will educate hundreds of trusted advisors every year.
"Even with 10 years of experience, I still
struggle to get beyond these emotional and psychological barriers
with my senior clients every week. I don't claim to fully understand
it, nor do I have all the answers, but I know the thoughts above
will make sense to most seniors. I invite you to email The Reverse
Review and share your ideas about how we can step over common mental
roadblocks that stop our clients from having a better retirement."
Increasing
the Sustainable Withdrawal Rate Using the Standby Reverse Mortgage
HECM Reverse Mortgages: Now or Last Resort?
Research Review: Reverse Mortgages in Retirement Planning: Dec 9 2014 Update (Cites a number of similar articles.)
