Knock it Out of the Park at NRMLA

NRMLA 2015 takes place in the City by the Bay November 16-18, so it’s only natural that this year’s theme is The Golden Gate to Retirement: Reverse Mortgage and Funding Longevity. You can get a leg up before you fly out by reviewing relevant blog posts. (Additional tip: don’t refer to San Francisco as “Frisco”. The locals will wince.)

Following are our top 2015 articles focused on longevity, the new retirement, and how reverse mortgage fits into the planning picture:reverse mortgage news

Now prepare to maximize your convention experience with these refresher tips:

  • Pack it in! Just as the AmEx commercial says: “Don’t leave home without it!” In this case, that means your business cards, smartphone, and other devices (it’s good to have back-up), chargers for said devices, notepad, pens, company premiums such as fridge magnets, and whatever else you might need when meeting potential new business associates or referral partners.
  • Know your goals. Aside from soaking in the beauty of the Bay Area, what do you hope to achieve by participating in NRMLA 2015? Do your primary goals involve:
    • Business building?
    • Connecting with specific people?
    • Problem solving?
    • Attending certain sessions?

With a plan in place, you can…

  • Plan to network. Conventions aren’t about collecting contacts, but making meaningful connections. It’s better to meet with fewer people and establish beneficial beginnings than to head home with a bundle of business cards and no clear sense of who these people are. With this objective in mind, schedule time to meet several potentially viable connections — and remember that networking works both ways.
  • Don’t overdo. To be at your best, take good care of yourself while traveling and participating at NRMLA. Get adequate sleep, rest during the day if you need to, and be smart about what you eat and drink. Deportment can speak louder than anything you say.
  • Join the active table. When you sit down to dine, choose a table where people you want to connect with are sitting, or invite others to join you. A casual atmosphere can be one of the best places to create or further a new connection.

And if you’ve never been to SF before: ride a cable car up one of its legendary vertiginous hills!

For more reverse mortgage information, tools and technology visit ReverseFocus.com today.

CNBC: HECMs a Useful Tool or Bad Idea?

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Recent HECM Changes Opening Minds

reverse mortgage newsAre reverse mortgages a useful retirement tool or a bad move for today’s retiree? That is the question addressed in CNBC’s recent article in age-based investing.

It should come as no surprise but anytime you turn conventional wisdom on its head you will get resistance from most. The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage turns the conventional American wisdom of paying one’s home off before retirement and keeping the home encumbered upside down. However in today’s world of retirees being ‘upside down’ in retirement preparedness more financial professionals and media pundits are beginning to question conventional wisdom when it comes to home equity.

The column begins by citing recent improvements in consumer protections increasing the comfort of financial advisors recommending the loan. Ironic considering that many of the HECM’s recent changes met strong resistance yet they may be the very factor  that finally expands the program’s marketshare which has hovered at a mere 2% of eligible households for years.
Rita Cheng, a certified financial planner and CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth said…

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

4 Traits of Successful People

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Practical Lessons to be Learned

Success. Webster’s Dictionary defines success as having the correct or desired outcome. The trick is our desired outcome is highly subjective and personal; yet in the business of originating reverse mortgages we do have some general benchmarks by which we can measure it.s-jobs-next

In observing and working with highly-successful individuals, I have observed several key traits that often are overlooked. Here are just a few for each of us to consider as we sharpen our minds, attitudes, and daily activities.

1. Successful individuals focus on improved performance. Quality over quantity. A diligent employee or salesperson is admired in the short term but what quality do managers and business owners look for in the long run? Performance.

2. Embracing uncertainty. If you primarily seek stability and predictably you have …

3. Lesson learned. Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 1,000 ways that won’t work.” Failure is not a verdict of our value but rather a teacher…

4. Trailblazing. Opportunities are rarely handed to us. Successful individuals understand this and create their own opportunities…

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

Huff Post: HELOC or HECM Line of Credit?

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Weighing the options of accessing home equity for today’s retiree

weigh-optionsA recent article “Is a HELOC better than a HECM?” in the Huffington Post explores the question as to what type of equity loan may be more appropriate: the traditional HELOC or home equity line of credit or the Home Equity Conversation Mortgage line of credit.

In a candid statement the article begins stating “where they overlap in meeting the needs of consumers, I could find only one situation where the HELOC might work better than the HECM,” said contributing columnist Jack Guttentag, better known as the Mortgage Professor.

Guttentag outlines the key features of a HELOC including draw periods, repayment periods and the terms of repayment. He then proceeds to differentiate the two typical options for older homeowners seeking to access a portion of their home equity.

Repayment:

“The HELOC borrower must pay interest on line usage immediately and must repay the entire balance within the repayment period,” Guttentag states. Such obligations we know can be especially burdensome for older homeowners who typically have a fixed income. The more of the credit line they use the larger the current and future payment obligations become. Even worse some homeowners today are experiencing ‘payment shock’ now that they have entered the repayment period being obligated not just for interest-only payments but fully amortized payments.

Credit Availability:

The dirty little secret in HELOCs came to light in 2009-2010 during the early years of the housing crash and economic crisis. Few brokers or lenders informed borrowers of the harsh reality that…

 

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

Leveraging Social Media for Free Publicity

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reverse mortgage newsLike him or not Donald Trump has mastered the art of free publicity. In the past six months the powerful connection between social media and local news outlets sprang to mind as I advocated for safer driving, cyclist safety and abuse of power by local government. What began as a simple Facebook post expanded into front page coverage and television interviews. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and most media outlets are now culling through local social media pages for possible stories.


As mortgage professionals our interactions on social media are either prohibited or heavily monitored and restricted. While you may not be able to setup your own reverse mortgage page you can leverage social media which can lead to free local media coverage expanding your influence as a HECM expert and solution provider.

1. Find local Facebook pages that you can leverage. Some examples would be your local newspaper, local television stations, radio and opinion pages. Like or join these pages so you can post your thoughts in the future.

2. Engage before posting. Read comments from group members and like, comment and respond. Always stay professional yet show a warm and personable side. After you have been active on the page fo

 

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

A ‘Must Have’. HECM Line of Credit Opens Doors

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The HECM Line of Credit Proves to be an Eye-Opener

Perceptions both open and close the doors of opportunity. In the case of the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage recent changes have improved the program’s perception amongst financial professionals unlocking the potential benefits of the loan’s unique line of credit. Unfortunately the opportunity for older homeowner’s to fully leverage the HECMs benefits has been hampered by media horror stories, an uninformed media and strong public misconceptions. The good news is the tide is beginning to turn.

reverse mortgage news
Historically many financial professionals have eschewed the reverse mortgage believing that the loan existed to only serve the house rich and cash poor, further compounded by the notion the loan costs were exorbitant and often not suited for the average homeowner. That opinion has waned in recent years with suitability improvements limiting first year distributions, reductions in loan costs and the scrutiny entailed with…

 

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

Message Sent Not Received?

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We apologize for the audio issues. Apple’s latest software isn’t rendering our videos so wonderfully.

If you are married or are in a relationship you well know that the message sent isn’t always the one received. When the wires get crossed misscommunication can lead to unnecessary conflict, strained relationships and lost sales.

Each of us has an internal voice which we understand perfectly. We make a statement and we know precisely what it means, implies and the tone which we intended to deliver it. Unfortunately good communication requires both the sender and receiver to exercise care in delivering the message and how we interpret the implications. As salespeople both responsibilities rest solely on our shoulders.

reverse mortgage news

Initial engagement

Before you say word one about the reverse mortgage ask this open-ended question, “What made you inquire today about the reverse mortgage?” Stop and listen. The trick is not to pull the information from them but to let them push it out to you. Interject empathetic comments like “I see”, or “I understand” throughout to let them know you are engaged. Remember, they reached out to you so don’t miss this most important step.

Active listening (fact-finding)

Initial fact-finding doesn’t have to be a formal process of moving through a checklist. You will gather a wealth of facts by simply…

 

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

One Partner Retires, the Other Doesn’t

The New Retirement (Part 2): One Partner Retires, The Other Doesn’t



reverse mortgage newsLast month we examined when retirement makes sense in terms of competency. But what if your reverse mortgage prospect(s) are perfectly competent, yet one half of the couple is planning to retire while the other wants to keep working?

A Cornell University study found that although the transition to retirement is stressful on marriages in general, the conflict is greatest when only one partner retires — and when men retire before their wives, they can often spiral into depression. (Note: While this study focused on heterosexual unions, the following guidance can apply across the spectrum of domestic partner arrangements.)reverse mortgage news

Couples therapist Harriet Pappenheim recommends couples create a vision of their ideal retirement. Each partner should ask themselves:

  • How will I fill my days?
  • What would I like to achieve?
  • What new pastimes will I pursue?
  • What habits do I wish to avoid?

“So many couples head into an out-of-sync retirement without having even considered, much less discussed, what the retired partner will bring to the relationship now that the dynamics have changed,” says Pappenheim. This can create resentment for the working spouse unless you discuss the upcoming retirement and possible shifts in household responsibilities in advance.

Another option many almost-retireds tend to overlook is how they can repurpose and recycle their expertise for the second act. In the age of content curation, where using what already exists is considered as viable as starting from scratch, the decades of experience under someone’s belt could morph into the ideal retirement job. Consider whether you (or a reverse mortgage client or prospect who desires to keep working) can:

  • Consult for your former employer
  • Mentor a Millennial entrepreneur, or anyone who can benefit from your experience, as this new movie with Robert DeNiro showcases.
  • Use your skills and knowledge in a non-profit or service role.
  • Monetize a hobby: teaching piano, event photography, tutoring students in reading or math.
  • Put hidden talents to use in part-time work that’s satisfying to you now. For some elders, the jobs they’re doing late in life are their greatest joy.
  • See what’s needed in “your own backyard”.

There are a number of ways to work from home that don’t require a large expenditure to launch, such as pet sitting or blogging. Such ventures can be especially rewarding if income takes second place to doing something different and enjoyable.

Finally, re-evaluate what “retirement” looks like to you. This 100-year-old educator has been professionally retired for a while, but remains “a walking history and a role model for our students,” according to her school superintendent. “She’s always recommending good books for me and others to read at the library, where she still serves as a board member.” That’s a profile of someone who may be formally retired, but is still filled with purpose and passion for sharing her gifts with the world.

 

For more reverse mortgage information, tools and technology visit ReverseFocus.com today.