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For your clients who are homeowners aged 62+, a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM, commonly called a reverse mortgage) loan offers some distinct advantages over other types of home-equity-release loans.

According to a survey conducted by Clever,* about half (51 percent) of retirees believe they will outlive their savings. Perhaps even more worrisome, the study also found that 65 percent of retirees say they are not financially secure. They may be facing any number of financial challenges, including how to best pay for long-term care or combat recent jumps in the prices of food, gas, and just about everything else.

As a financial professional, you want to give your clients the best chance at financial success. For most homeowners aged 62 and older, home equity represents the largest portion of their overall net wealth, usually dwarfing their other assets (e.g., retirement savings). While home equity is good, unless the home is sold or the equity is tapped, it is of essentially no functional value to a homeowner in retirement because it is generally very illiquid.

Loyal NAIFA-CA member Louis H. Brownstone, CLTC, proposes a new solution for long-term care insurance planning in a recent Broker World article. Brownstone is the owner of California Long Term Care Insurance. A NAIFA member since 2007, he is the Government Relations/APIC IFAPAC Chair for NAIFA-San Francisco Peninsula and a NAIFA Financial Security Advocate.

Congratulations, Louis. We're #NAIFAproud of your commitment and dedication to our industry.

The Intercompany Long-Term Care Insurance Conference (ILTCI 2022) is taking place March 21-23 in Raleigh, NC, with sessions featuring NAIFA thought leaders and a special NAIFA networking event. The ILTCI’s annual educational conference is for representatives of the long-term and extended care insurance community and other strategic allies, including providers, public policy institutions, professional organizations, federal, state, and local government agencies, and the public. Online registration for the event is open.

Along with resolutions and high hopes, the new year also brings many insurance carriers promoting changes to their whole life insurance product portfolios. These revisions are due to adaptations in the IRC Section 7702 regulations. Prolonged low interest rates also continue to factor into product refreshes, revamps and adjustments. It may be overwhelming to sift through the fine print of the new products, but as you begin to evaluate them, keep these top five considerations in mind:

Home Wealth Can Help Your Older-Adult Clients to Fight Inflation.  

These days, inflation is on the minds of most people — and it is of particular concern for seniors. With prices rising at the fastest pace in decades, many people who are in or nearing retirement have heightened fears they may outlive their savings.

The stage is set for home wealth, which has also been on the rise, to play an important role in helping retiree homeowners to support a more efficient retirement income strategy. As a financial professional, you want to give your clients the best chance at financial success, which is why it is imperative that the strategic use of home equity is part of any retirement-planning conversation.

It has been critical for the Extended and Long-Term Care (LTC) Industry to weigh in on the publicly funded LTC program in Washington State (WA Cares). The industry has historically welcomed a public-private LTC option. And we are hopeful that the various state legislatures considering similar programs will embrace knowledgeable suggestions from industry insurers, business processing firms, distributors, agents, and advisors. In addition, there are proposals at the federal level that also could benefit from industry participation. 

While there are several different types of reverse mortgages, most reverse mortgage loans today are HECMs—the only reverse mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). 

Many financial professionals now consider today’s HECMs to be an important and effective tool (when used within a comprehensive financial plan) to help improve retirement outcomes for their older-adult homeowner clients.

NAIFA Trustee Christopher Gandy, LACP, was featured presenter at the NAIFA-NC chapter’s February virtual meeting. After presiding over the installation of NAIFA-NC’s 2022 Board of Directors, Gandy gave his presentation, “Your Best Year Ever.”

Drawing on his experiences as a professional basketball player and a highly successful financial professional, Gandy challenged agents and advisors to reach their highest levels of achievement. “You cannot do ordinary things and expect extraordinary results,” he said. “You have to do ‘the extra.’”

Whether you're a long-term care veteran or interested in expanding your practice, this webinar is for you!

Angie Hughes, LTCP, is a 22-year insurance veteran and long-term care insurance expert with Producers XL in Salina, Kansas.

Hughes began her insurance career selling property and casualty insurance, but found her true calling in educating agents, advisors, and consumers about long-term care (LTC) planning. “No day is ever the same,” she says, and she thrives on sorting through the complexities of the LTC world to find solutions for her clients.