retirement funds
Covid-19 and Seniors at Risk
It has been a while since I have written anything in my blog, because like everyone else, my life was turned upside down with the pandemic and it’s destructive swath across the world, taking lives, ruining economies, creating fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.
Anyone who had a 401-K, some sort of a retirement plan or at the least, a savings account have seen them dashed, drained away and depleted within days and the Stock Market will continue to reel in uncertainty for most likely, a very long time.
Eventually, we will get through this terrible time, but if you are a senior, you may not have the ability to wait it out until the markets recover and are very worried about running out of money. I am here to say, that this is the one time a senior has an advantage over younger people because they have an option that younger people don’t have.
If a senior age 62 or older, lives in their home (even if they have a mortgage on it), they could apply for a reverse loan. However, too many are afraid of them because they think the Lender will end up owning their home (false), they have to still make payments (false), there is “fine print” to trick them (false) and they are “too good to be true”. (False again.)
- The FHA HECM is the most regulated mortgage in the lending industry, to protect seniors from financial abuse.
- Anyone who wants to apply for a reverse loan must complete telephone counseling with a HUD-approved Counseling Agency.
- There are no mortgage payments, however, the borrower must continue to pay property taxes, Homeowner insurance and keep their home in good repair.
- There are no restrictions on how the borrower uses their funds, except they are discouraged from buying annuities or other investment products.
- They can remain in their home for their entire lives and leave it to their estate.
The reverse loan industry is seeing an increase in loan applications at this time because obviously money from a reverse loan will give them the safety and security they need and take away the fear and anxiety about running out of money.
The loan is safe, well-regulated and an ideal solution for all senior home-owners to consider right now. From the time the HUD Counseling is completed, the loan processing time takes about 45 days, however, it might begin to take longer with the increase in applications.
Although I am located in California, anyone who reads this may contact me if you have questions. I can point you in the right direction for a reverse loan consultant in your state.
Don’t hesitate. If you have a home or Condo and you are old enough, you have this opportunity for financial security. Look into a reverse mortgage. Now.
Reverse Mortgages and Annuities
An annuity should never be purchased using money from a reverse loan, but in the past there were times when a reverse loan borrower would unwisely do just that and sometimes these vulnerable seniors were (for lack of a less sensitive term) “robbed”.
But what has happened since then to protect seniors from this kind of scam?
In 1987 Congress passed the FHA Insurance and Uniform Lending practices and the FHA insurance bill that would insure Reverse mortgages.
The first reverse mortgage to be insured by FHA was in 1989 and they continue to oversee this program very closely as an added protection to seniors and since that time additional oversight has come from Housing & Economic Recovery Act, HUD, Ginnie Mae, the National Reverse Lenders Association and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Prior to this time, reverse loans were created and offered by other entities such as insurance companies in exchange for a portion of the equity of the borrower’s home when they passed away and at very high interest rates.
And quite often an annuity was tied to this transaction by obligating the borrower to use the funds from the reverse loan to purchase this insurance product.
Is this an acceptable suggestion for a senior to utilize in their “later” years?