Hi Jan,
This week, we're continuing the housing conversation but shifting to the part that often makes people uncomfortable: home equity and what to actually do with it.
The article below looks at the different roles your home can play in retirement and why treating it as an afterthought tends to create problems down the road. Whether you plan to stay put, downsize, or tap into your equity in some way, the key is making that decision intentionally rather than by default.
The podcast this week takes a closer look at reverse mortgages specifically. It gets past the reputation and into how the tool actually works, when it makes sense, and when it doesn't. Worth a listen even if you've already dismissed the idea.
I've also included a related piece from McLean on when a reverse mortgage might fit into a retirement income plan, which pairs well with both.
| | | | Housing Is Not an Afterthought in Retirement Housing decisions tend to get pushed to the background in retirement planning. That works fine until it doesn’t.
Most plans spend a lot of time on investments, taxes, and healthcare. Meanwhile, the home often sits off to the side as something we’ll “figure out later.” For many households, it is the largest asset they own. Ignoring it doesn’t make it less important. It just means one of the biggest drivers of your financial outcome is left to chance.
By Retirement Researcher | | | | When Does a Reverse Mortgage Make Sense in a Retirement Plan? Housing decisions in retirement are rarely just about real estate. They sit at the intersection of lifestyle, health, and financial sustainability. In many cases, the success or failure of a retirement plan comes down to whether the home still fits the plan.
By McLean Asset Management
| | | | Reverse Mortgages: Misunderstood or Misused?
Reverse mortgages have a reputation that often gets in the way of an honest look at how they work. In this episode, Wade and Alex break down the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program, explain how the growing line of credit functions as a buffer asset, and walk through who the tool is actually suited for and who it isn't.
| | | | | | | | |
