The ‘Kosher’ Reverse Mortgage (IV)

A kosher reverse mortgage lender will share what he or she earns when selling the loan by waiving or reducing the borrower's costs, says Wharton emeritus professor Jack Guttentag, aka "the Mortgage Professor." But not all HECM lenders keep kosher.

First Sign of Blood from DOL Fiduciary Rule

'The unexpected change regarding FIAs in the final DOL rule and the related Best Interest Contract Exemption has cast a cloud over our future growth rate,' said John Matovina, CEO of American Equity, the second-largest seller of fixed indexed annuities in 2015.

The Reverse Mortgage Puzzle: Part III

“There’s still a dark cloud over HECMs,” said Michael Banner, a long-time advocate of reverse mortgages who has a CE-accredited business devoted to teaching financial advisors about HECMs.

The Reverse Mortgage Puzzle, Part II

Last week we focused on the HECM product, and how it became less generous after the financial crisis. This week we examine the role of the banks—large ones and smaller ones—and their roles (or former roles) in the distribution of HECMs.
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The Fed’s Risky New Mandate

With the Fed deciding, yet again, to hold rates, their dilemma will only intensify this year: normalize monetary policy in line with domestic fundamentals, or cede to the pressures of global financial markets, writes the Group CEO of GAM Holding and former UBS Wealth Management CIO.

The Latest from an RIJ Competitor

Catch the Spring 2016 edition of The Journal of Retirement for research on Social Security claiming for widows and widowers by Reichenstein and Meyer, for John Turner's discoveries when 'mystery shopping' for a rollover, and much more.
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Most Americans clueless about fees: Hearts & Wallets

'We have a major problem,' said Laura Varas, founder and CEO of Hearts & Wallets, in a release. “Consumers should know what they pay... Regulation has a role, but in the end, there’s no substitute for an informed consumer.'