Suze Orman on her CNBC show recently responded to a viewer question by stating that a reverse mortgage is a better option than selling stocks.
During the segment, a caller stated that his 85-year-old father had been liquidating stocks over the past few years to pay for larger ticket items, including the upkeep of his home. His question was, “is it better for him right now to continually unload his portfolio and incur capital gains on the stocks he sells or risk borrowing, in a sense, against his kids future during these crazy times?” The father would like his two kids to inherit the home and his investments after he passes.
Suze says that a reverse mortgage would be the better option. Her reasoning is as follows: The heirs will have a better chance of recouping the lost value of stocks over the years since the stock market recovers faster than the real estate market. Reverse mortgage interest rates are low and the mortgage relief bill that came into effect in October makes reverse mortgages far more beneficial than ever to take out today than ever before because of fees being limited.
This segment highlights how a reverse mortgage can help extend the value and life of other assets when they are provided additional time to gain value before being drawn down.
When looking at retirement plans, older homeowner’s need to take a holistic approach. There is no one size fits all solution. A reverse mortgage will not be the right solution for everyone; however, it should not be overlooked as part as the overall retirement plan. When consulting a retirement planner be sure to bring up the option of a reverse mortgage. After all, the home is more than likely the largest source of untapped capital for most senior homeowners.
Credit: Josh Borba