Reverse mortgage as a borrowing option
#31
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Posts: 8,118
The guy who advertises them is Fred Thomas. He was an actor on Law and Order, was a practicing attorney, and was a US Senator for TN.
My guess is that he is rolling in money without doing these ads. He actually is an astute man, which makes me wonder why he advertises the reverse mortgage. There are very few situations where a RM is a good financial solution, and he knows that - unless he's gone senile.
My guess is that he is rolling in money without doing these ads. He actually is an astute man, which makes me wonder why he advertises the reverse mortgage. There are very few situations where a RM is a good financial solution, and he knows that - unless he's gone senile.
#32
very well said cathyvv exactly what I told my son legal scam for sure I get the shivers everytime I see those tv ads and often think to myself how many elderlys are getting rip off my my just never end some of these scam ideas people come with
#34
RM was the worst thing my late husband and I ever did. They are fast talking and promise a lot, but later you find out that it was not what you were promised or what it was cracked up to be.
#35
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 128
#37
While I'm not a financial expert, my opinion is that you are better off with a home equity loan. Why? Because while you don't have to pay a reverse mortgage back, you do accrue MORE interest on the reverse mortgage loan every month that it is outstanding. Over time, the interest can raise the amount you owe on your home to more than the home is worth if you try to sell it.
Reverse mortgage is, in my opinion, a 'legal' scam. The guy who advertises it used to be on Law and Order and was a US Senator, Fred Thompson. He actually ran for President in 2008 - got weeded out early. He was, by the way, Senator for TN from 1994 to 2003, and also was a practicing lawyer before getting into acting. He's a smart man, but I can't see that anything he's done in the past qualifies him to give financial advice to anyone. He's basically an unwanted telemarketer who comes into our homes via TV ads.
Having said that, it may be the only choice for those who have no other assets, on a low fixed income and need additional cash flowing in every month to live.
[h=2]Reverse Mortgage Cons[/h]
Reverse mortgage is, in my opinion, a 'legal' scam. The guy who advertises it used to be on Law and Order and was a US Senator, Fred Thompson. He actually ran for President in 2008 - got weeded out early. He was, by the way, Senator for TN from 1994 to 2003, and also was a practicing lawyer before getting into acting. He's a smart man, but I can't see that anything he's done in the past qualifies him to give financial advice to anyone. He's basically an unwanted telemarketer who comes into our homes via TV ads.
Having said that, it may be the only choice for those who have no other assets, on a low fixed income and need additional cash flowing in every month to live.
[h=2]Reverse Mortgage Cons[/h]
- The fees on a reverse mortgage are the same as a traditional FHA mortgage but are higher than a conventional mortgage because of the insurance cost. The largest costs are:
- The loan balance gets larger over time and the value of the estate/inheritance may decrease over time.
- Although Social Security and Medicare are not affected, Medicaid and other need-based government assistance can be affected if too much funds are withdrawn (and not spent) in one month. (Note that this could mean that if you need to be in a nursing home, you won't qualify for Medicaid assistance because of the income from your reverse mortgage. )
- The program is not well understood by most individuals. However, the availability of independent reverse mortgage counseling helps.
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Homosassa, FL
Posts: 2,267
We have a very good investment column in our local paper and he stresses that RM are very bad for most people and can cause lots of problems, so make sure you see a very good lawyer if you look into one. To update your kitchen, there are other and better ways. Good luck and be careful.
#39
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 3,198
The spokesperson is just an actor- period
Not only is Fred Thompson a spokesperson for the RM but Henry Winkler (The Fonz from Happy Days), Robert Wagner and James Garner, too- all actors. My guess is they were chosen because those eligible to do a RM (age 62+) would somehow trust them because we grew up watching them on TV. Same went for Dennis Weaver doing Ameriprise Financial commercials. None of them are financial experts-just actors.
My advice (and I do have financial experience) is to make a wish list of what needs to be done and what you "desire" to be done. Be honest in making those lists. If your needs list is much larger than your wallet, I would ask that you spread out the work. Cut eating out, runs to the store without lists, etc. Get at least 3 quotes for all the jobs. Let each of them know that you are looking at other contractors. Make sure they quote you on the same job, materials, and timeline so you are comparing apples to apples. Then if you truly need these things done at once, get a home equity loan. Shop for that too. Go to your "local" bank as well as the big ones too. Ask questions and understand the loan. And finally don't borrow more money than you need. Good luck!
My advice (and I do have financial experience) is to make a wish list of what needs to be done and what you "desire" to be done. Be honest in making those lists. If your needs list is much larger than your wallet, I would ask that you spread out the work. Cut eating out, runs to the store without lists, etc. Get at least 3 quotes for all the jobs. Let each of them know that you are looking at other contractors. Make sure they quote you on the same job, materials, and timeline so you are comparing apples to apples. Then if you truly need these things done at once, get a home equity loan. Shop for that too. Go to your "local" bank as well as the big ones too. Ask questions and understand the loan. And finally don't borrow more money than you need. Good luck!
Last edited by AUQuilter; 11-20-2013 at 11:33 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
nativetexan
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
51
02-28-2012 05:55 AM
Pinkrose4664
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
3
04-10-2011 07:47 PM