I would like to have a reverse mortgage for economic security only just in case we run low on reserves ( this is a smart plan - also the reverse mortgage can act as a hedge against falling home prices - we have many clients who take out the reverse mortgage saver credit line option - so they can tap into the equity as they need it and are charged on the outstanding loan ) can the origination amount be paid so as not to accrue interest until such time as actually needed? yes you can pay towards the mortgage so there wont be any interest accruing on the back end this is also a smart idea also to offset the reverse mortgage is home appreciation - so for the net 5-10 years with a fixed HECM this shouldn't be a concern