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A reverse mortgage is a loan. You are borrowing against your home equity. However, unlike traditional mortgages, with a reverse mortgage you do not have to pay back the money borrowed as long as you are living in the home. If a reverse mortgage is right for you, it can offer great financial relief. Reverse Mortgage…

The government-insured reverse mortgage product can be used in a variety of ways to help seniors age in place during retirement. Here are three little-known ways that seniors can use reverse mortgages: Purchase a New Primary Residence (HECM For Purchase) – One of the best features of the HECM program is the ability to purchase a…

Reverse Mortgage or HELOC – Which is Best?  If you’ve decided to tap into your home equity during retirement, there are a few different ways to go about doing this. Most likely, your options will come down to a Reverse Mortgage or a home equity line of credit, or “HELOC”. Reverse Mortgage vs. HELOC A…

Over time, many people have developed misconceptions about reverse mortgages based on inaccurate media coverage. The truth is reverse mortgages have never been safer and they’re a viable retirement option when they are understood. Here are several common misconceptions about reverse mortgages as well as the truths behind them. Misconception: The bank (or government) owns your…

  The turning of the calendar year is a classic time to evaluate your financial goals. If you’re rapidly approaching retirement age, or if you’re already there, Social Security benefits are probably near the front of your thoughts. Social Security helps supplement the lives of millions of retired Americans. But even though every worker gets…

As the New Year begins, it is the traditional time to set goals for improving your life. Here are a few resolution recommendations for anyone at or around retirement age: • Create a Retirement Plan: Contrary to popular wisdom, most people enter retirement without much of a long term plan. However, it is critical that…

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be instituting major changes to the Reverse Mortgage program. Changes taking effect this month, effective September 30, 2013 include: Limits to the amount of money that you can access in the first year of the loan A new mortgage insurance fee structure which may mean higher…

The Reverse Mortgage Stabilization Act was signed into law on August 9th. As we’ve reported earlier, this new law gives the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the authority to strengthen the HECM Reverse Mortgage program by making significant, but not overly drastic adjustments. We expect HUD to announce these changes before the end…

Deciding when to start drawing Social Security can be one of the toughest decisions that a new or near retiree can make. For most, delaying Social Security is the preferred option — in fact, it may your best investment decision. By Henry Hebeler Henry (Bud) Hebeler is one of the most experienced financial advisors within…

The 2010 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) included questions asked of persons aged 60 plus about personal belongings. Some of the findings: • Five percent of respondents said that they had fewer things than they needed.  Thirty five percent said they had just the right amount.  Sixty percent said they had more than necessary. Do you have…

The devastation in Oklahoma from the massive tornados is overwhelming. It is a human tragedy with entire neighborhoods flattened. Catastrophes like this serve as an important reminder to make sure you have the proper preparations in place should a natural disaster strike your home. Evacuations plans, emergency supplies and communication protocols are important. Equally important…

“When it comes to caring for your aging parents, do you ever feel like your siblings are putting too much of the responsibility on your shoulders? Whether it’s day-to-day care tasks or paying the bills, if the division of labor is making you angry, it’s time to take action. Find out what the experts advise.”…

AARP senior discounts used to be one of the only ways to save money. Now online coupons and discounts can be found on anything and everything and are a great way to save money on retirement expenses. Here are a few of the strategies and sites we think are best. • Search for Specific Discounts:…

Your decision to get a Reverse Mortgage should probably involve an analysis of your long term care plans. Research indicates that at least 70 percent of people over 65 will need long term care services at some point in their lives.  Many people secure a Reverse Mortgage in order to fund long term care services…

According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, the above is largely true no matter how high you think they are. A good rule of thumb for estimating health costs in retirement is that Medicare will, on average, cover 60%, while the remaining 40% come out of the retiree’s pocket. Unfortunately, according to…

According to a new study from Ameriprise Financial, there appears to be a significant disconnect between average retirement goals and reality. While the study suggests that Americans have a positive view of retirement – with 78 percent of respondents expecting to be extremely happy, it seems that most Americans have a gap of $250,000 between…

The Choosing Wisely campaign, an initiative by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation in partnership with Consumer Reports, kicked off last spring. It is an attempt to alert both doctors and patients to problematic and commonly overused medical tests, procedures and treatments. As we get older, we may find the need or desire for…

If you follow the news related to retirement for any length of time these days, you will encounter some article on the woes of Social Security, either presently or imminently.  Recently, Gary King and Samir Soneji, professors at Harvard and Dartmouth respectively, wrote an article for the New York Times in which they claimed that…

While we at NewRetirement are mostly focused on the financial aspects of growing older, a successful retirement generally means overall fulfillment and dating is an increasingly popular activity among older Americans. With extra leisure time, it is no wonder that seniors – many of whom have lost or divorced spouses – are looking to spend…

More and more couples over the ages of 60 are favoring cohabitation over marriage.  In fact, cohabitation among people over the age of 60 more than quadrupled between 2000 and 2020. What is Driving the Trend Toward Cohabitation? There are quite a few factors driving the trend toward cohabitation for people over 50 or 60.…