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Reverse Mortgage Daily

Changemakers: Reza Jahangiri, CEO, American Advisors Group
For anyone who follows the reverse mortgage industry, it’s almost impossible to avoid the name and brand of American Advisors Group (AAG). The company currently stands as the undisputed leader of the reverse mortgage industry, with the largest market share and arguably the most visible branding in the public consciousness owing to its significant investment […]
CFPB: Seniors Face Serious Spending Challenges in First 5 Years of Retirement
In the first five years of retirement, American seniors are likely to face significant financial challenges in making ends meet. According to a survey of Americans who retired between 1992 and 2014 conducted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), over half (51%) had income, savings or other non-housing assets allowed them to maintain the […]
Origins: Using Reverse Mortgages to Do the Right Thing for Seniors
Reverse mortgage originators often find themselves in very difficult circumstances depending on the reason that clients reach out to them for help in the first place. Sometimes it’s for a more affluent person to get access to a product that can strategically help their portfolios, while other times it’s to try and make sure a […]
NerdWallet: Reverse Mortgages Can Be ‘Relief Valve’ for Bear Markets
Reverse mortgages aren’t cheap for seniors and should be avoided particularly for short-term needs, but recent research has identified an effective use of the product concept for those who have investments during volatile periods of market activity. This is according to Liz Weston, a certified financial planner and finance expert at NerdWallet. “Stay-at-home orders may […]
Reverse Mortgage Daily Changemakers: Class of 2020
The only true constant in the world is change, and for the reverse mortgage industry that seems to especially be the case. Because the industry is often defined by factors that come from both evolving business necessities as well as changing political headwinds, the ability for the reverse mortgage product category to remain a reliable […]
Changemakers: Peter Bell, CEO of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association
There are few organizations in the United States that are more committed to spreading the word about home equity incorporation in retirement than the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA). As the foremost trade association operating on behalf of the reverse mortgage industry, NRMLA is uniquely positioned and suited to serve its interests at all […]
Pandemic Urgency Causes Borrowers to Seek Reliability of Private Reverse Mortgages
As proprietary reverse mortgage products have emerged as an increasingly dominant player in the broader reverse mortgage industry, determining what common attributes are shared by a group of borrowers who decide to go the proprietary route becomes essential so that lenders can best tailor their proprietary offerings to meet the needs of their clients. The […]
Study: Workers Less Confident About Retirement Prospects Due to Pandemic
23% of workers who are either employed or recently unemployed express that their confidence in retiring comfortably has declined due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. This is according to “Retirement Security Amid COVID-19: The Outlook of Three Generations,” a report released by the nonprofit Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (TCRS). “Workers […]
Origins: RMI’s John Lunde on Reverse Mortgage Education and More
Reverse mortgage lenders large and small have come to rely on the data and analysis of Reverse Market Insight over the years, since the company launched in 2007. Under the leadership of co-founder John Lunde, the company offers industry data analysis including market-level data lenders can use to help drive their business forward. What many […]
Money.com: ‘Everything to Know’ About Reverse Mortgages
As more American seniors find themselves economically impacted by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, more of them may be looking at new financial options that they may not have considered before in order to make ends meet. One of these new potential options may be a reverse mortgage, and it’s in that spirit that Money.com has […]

Reverse Market Insight

HECM Originators – March 2020
HECM endorsements dropped -14.1% in March to 2,905 loans. The top 10 outperformed again, dropping -11.1%. 4 of the top 10 lenders bucked the trend entirely and grew on the month: HighTech recovered 38.2% to 47 loans Fairway continued an impressive run, notching 197 loans and 31.3% growth from Feb FAR jumped 21.8% to 586… […]
HECM Lenders – April 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has distorted many numbers, and we can add one more casualty. HECM endorsements crashed -45% in April to 1,601 loans, lower than the low put in Dec 2018 (1,751) after the last round of PLF and rate floor changes from HUD. While we’d normally be very concerned about this level of drop,… […]
HECM Originators – February 2020
HECM endorsements dropped -13.7% in February to 3,381 loans after a truly impressive start to 2020. The top 10 as a group did a bit better, dropping -11.9%, but as always some lenders had strong performances: Fairway jumped 61.3% to 150 loans, their highest showing in over a year Liberty grew 20.3% to finish with… […]
HECM Lenders – March 2020
HECM endorsements declined -14% in February, continuing the decline seen in February.. None of the 10 regions we track were up on the month, with only one (Northwest/Alaska) unchanged for the period. One a better note, three of the top ten lenders saw volume increases: American Advisors Group volume was up 108 units to 799… […]
HECM Lenders – February 2020
HECM endorsements declined -13.6% in February, moderating the blistering January pace but still well above levels from early 2019. Just 3 of the 10 regions we track were up on the month. Great Plains was up 17.9% but as the smallest region it was just 66 loans Rocky Mountain has made quite a charge in… […]
HECM Originators – December 2019
HECM endorsements dropped again in December, finishing the year at 32,448 loans. That’s a decline of -22.2% from 2018, but that really does skew perception given that 2018 endorsements were inflated by 2017 fundings leaking into the first few months of 2018. Suffice to say that most everyone we’ve talked to in the industry lately… […]
HECM Lenders – January 2020
HECM endorsements started the new decade off with a bang, rising 59.2% to 3,919 loans. That’s the highest monthly total since February, which was artificially boosted by the catch-up from a partial government shutdown late in 2018. All 10 of the regions we track were up, the second consecutive month that all regions moved in… […]
HECM Originators – November 2019
HECM endorsements dropped back -13.5% in November after a strong October, with Wholesale easing -4.5% while Retail suffered a bigger decline at -18.6%. The top 10 as a group again slightly under-performed the industry (-13.8%) but some lenders had strong performances: Finance of America gained 16.6% to 387 loans, their highest total since July Sun… […]
HECM Lenders – December 2019
HECM endorsements dropped -13.4% in December, ending at 32,482 for calendar 2019. All 10 of the regions we track were down reflecting a broad based, but mostly shallow volume decline. Four of the top ten lenders were up on the month: RMF led the way, rising 61.2% to 303 loans in their best monthly total… […]
HECM Originators – October 2019
HECM endorsements grew 36% in October, powered by Retail rising 45% and Wholesale perking up 22.7%. That’s the highest monthly total since February, and that was fueled more by a backlog of endorsement activity rather than the higher origination volumes driven by lower interest rates as is currently the case. The top 10 as a… […]