Reverse Mortgage News by HECMWorld

1 in 1,000. Is the reverse mortgage industry missing a much bigger opportunity? New analysis from financial services veteran and Equity Wealth Strategies founder Ryan Ponsford reveals a striking gap between the potential reverse mortgage market and actual industry production. In the lead-up to the NRMLA Annual Meeting, Ryan joins HECM World's Industry Leader Insights to unpack the numbers and what...

Reverse mortgage endorsements are rebounding, but stronger production isn't necessarily translating into stronger profits. October HECM endorsements rose 11.5%, led by Finance of America. Yet FOA's latest earnings reveal sharply declining profitability despite growing loan volume. In this week's HECM World Weekly, we also cover: Midterm election results and what they mean for housing and older Ame...

Long before reverse mortgages became a mainstream retirement planning strategy, Dr. Barry Sacks was pioneering research that would help change the industry's thinking. In the first of a four-part series, host Shain Urwin of C2 Financial sits down with the renowned tax attorney and retirement finance researcher to explore the origins of his groundbreaking work. With a PhD from MIT and a Harvard law...

How do you build a steady stream of reverse mortgage referrals without constantly chasing new prospects? Brady Mullen, CFP, Divisional Business Development Manager at CrossCountry Mortgage, believes the answer lies in building trust, delivering the right message, and consistently nurturing professional relationships. In this week's HECM World Food for Thought, Brady shares a preview of his upcomin...

What can traditional and reverse mortgage loan officers learn from each other? And what separates the most successful originators from the rest? In Part 2 of Industry Leader Insights, Jesse Allen, President of 55+ Lending at Rate, joins HECM World Publisher Andrew Montesi to discuss how the two sides of the mortgage industry can work together to unlock new opportunities. At Rate, reverse mortgage...

Record $13.2 Trillion in Home Equity, But 88% Is Rate-Locked. American homeowners are sitting on a record $13.2 trillion in accessible home equity. But with 88% of that equity tied to mortgages carrying rates below today's market levels, accessing it isn't always straightforward. In this week's HECM World Weekly, we examine what the latest First American research means for reverse mortgages, along...

Would Dr. Wade Pfau get a reverse mortgage himself when he turns 62? In the fourth and final episode of our series with Dr. Wade Pfau on Rethinking Retirement Finance, the leading retirement researcher joins host Shain Urwin, CRMP, of C2 Financial to answer questions from viewers and explore some of the practical applications of reverse mortgages in retirement planning. The conversation covers: Wh...

An inherited property may look ready for reverse mortgage financing, but an unsettled trust can create serious title complications, underwriting delays and even derail a loan. In this week's HECM World Food for Thought, Shana Roach, CRMP, of Mutual of Omaha, explains why incomplete trust administration is an often-overlooked problem in the origination process. Drawing on a real lending scenario, S...

What happens when traditional mortgage lenders start embracing reverse mortgages as a genuine growth opportunity? In Part 1 of this two-part Industry Leader Insights interview, HECM World Publisher Andrew Montesi sits down with Jesse Allen, President of 55+ Lending at Rate and NRMLA board member, to explore how Rate is bridging traditional and reverse mortgage lending — and the results it's seeing...

America's housing market is showing fresh signs of weakness. Builder confidence has hit a 14-year low, pending home sales have plunged to record lows, and Fannie Mae is forecasting elevated mortgage rates through 2027. But what could a slowdown in new construction mean for existing home values, accumulated home equity and the growing demand for aging-in-place renovations? In this week's HECM World...

Why should reverse mortgage professionals start thinking more like retirement planners? In Episode 3 of Rethinking Retirement Finance, host Shain Urwin of C2 Financial continues his conversation with renowned retirement researcher Dr. Wade Pfau, exploring how originators can apply retirement income research to better serve clients and build stronger relationships with financial advisors. Pfau expl...

A cash-out refinance might solve an older homeowner's financial problems today, but could it eliminate their reverse mortgage options tomorrow? In this episode of HECM World's Food for Thought, Christina Harmes, CRMP, of Barrett Financial and a reverse mortgage coach, shares a cautionary story about a homeowner who refinanced at 65, only to discover four years later that a reverse mortgage was no...

What needs to change to unlock the future of the reverse mortgage industry? In Part 2 of HECM World's Industry Leader Insights, NRMLA President Steve Irwin talks about the reforms, innovations and industry collaboration needed to move reverse mortgages forward. Following Part 1's discussion on record senior housing wealth, historically low HECM endorsements and the state of the industry, Irwin tur...

Social Security benefits are set to rise 3.6% in 2027, the largest increase since 2023. But with consumer inflation accelerating to 3.7% and producer prices jumping 6.3% annually, how far will that extra retirement income go? In this week's HECM World Weekly, we cover the latest economic and housing news, including mortgage rates holding near three-year highs and what those rates mean for HECM bor...

Can a reverse mortgage help protect retirement investments during a market downturn? In Episode 2 of Rethinking Retirement Finance, retirement income researcher Dr. Wade Pfau joins host Shain Urwin from C2 Financial to explain how a HECM line of credit can serve as a financial buffer, helping retirees manage sequence-of-returns risk and avoid withdrawing from investment portfolios when markets are...

In this Food For Thought, Lisa Moriello, CRMP, National Sales Manager at loanDepot, breaks down how reverse mortgage professionals can think more strategically about HECM structure in a changing rate environment. Lisa focuses on three key “dials” originators can work with: margin, timing and how borrowers access their proceeds. She also explains why the expected rate matters more than the Fed head...

Senior housing wealth has reached a record $15.34 trillion, yet annual HECM endorsements have fallen to their lowest level since 2003. NRMLA President Steve Irwin explains why he believes the reverse mortgage industry remains strong. In Part 1 of this Industry Leader Insights interview, Irwin joins HECM World to talk about the state of the reverse mortgage market, the challenges facing federally i...

Senior home equity has surpassed $15 trillion for the first time, reaching a record $15.34 trillion, according to new NRMLA/RiskSpan data. This week on HECM World Weekly, Andrew Montesi steps in for Gabrielle Hayen to cover the latest developments shaping the reverse mortgage industry, housing market and retirement landscape. In this episode: Record senior home equity: Homeowners aged 62 and older...

Should a reverse mortgage really be treated as a financial last resort? In the first episode of HECM World’s new Rethinking Retirement Finance show, host Shain Urwin from C2 Financial sits down with retirement income researcher Dr. Wade Pfau to challenge that conventional thinking. Pfau explains why housing wealth should be considered alongside investments and other retirement assets, how a HECM l...

October brings a unique convergence of retirement decisions: Social Security adjustments, Medicare open enrollment, insurance renewals, property taxes and rising seasonal expenses. For many older homeowners, it’s the time of year when one question becomes increasingly important: “Am I going to be okay next year?” In this edition of Food for Thought, Lisa Moriello, CRMP, National Retail Reverse Sal...

What changes when a successful originator becomes responsible for building a team, coaching others and scaling production? In Part 2 of HECM World’s Leaders Roundtable, Shain Urwin, CRMP, Christina Harmes, CRMP, and Gabe Bodner move beyond individual performance to tackle the bigger questions around leadership and growth in the reverse mortgage industry. The panel discusses why successful processe...

Inflation offered some relief this week, with the Fed’s preferred measure coming in softer than expected and easing some of the immediate pressure for another rate increase. But the broader picture remains challenging. Mortgage rates are still above 7%, sellers are cutting prices at the highest September rate in years, and new research is highlighting growing financial pressure on older homeowners...

A long wait is one thing. Not knowing what’s happening is another. In this Food For Thought, Jason Back of Broker Essentials uses a frustrating airport experience in Barcelona to highlight a common weakness in the mortgage customer journey: silence. As mortgage businesses increasingly rely on automation, CRMs, portals and digital processes, Jason argues that efficiency only works when customers st...

What separates the reverse mortgage originators who consistently perform from those who struggle to gain traction? In Part 1 of this special Industry Leader Insights roundtable, Andrew Montesi is joined by three leading voices in reverse mortgage sales: Shain Urwin, CRMP, National Reverse Mortgage Director at C2 Financial Christina Harmes, CRMP, Reverse Mortgage Division Director at Barrett Financ...

Mortgage rates are back above 7%, FHA is proposing specific changes to property requirements that would apply to reverse mortgages, and HUD has formally moved forward with a $1.3 billion HECM loan sale. In this week’s HECM World Weekly, Gabrielle Hayen also looks at a new legal challenge involving home equity investment agreements, research showing nearly half of adults under 30 are living with th...