Legislators, media, some senior advocate groups, and even the general public miss the point that reverse mortgage borrowers are already highly protected.  With more protections than with any other loan or financial decision seniors make they still feel more protections are needed.  Currently the only reverse mortgage is the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) which is insured by HUD.  HUD has guidelines and requirements to protect seniors.  Even when there were proprietary (private) reverse mortgage products, they followed HUD’s guidelines.  While there are protections, seniors still have the right to make their own decisions, for better or worse.   Let’s discuss these protections.

• Third-party counseling is required on all reverse mortgages.  Counseling is absolutely mandated with no exceptions and is provided by HUD trained and approved counselors.  During the counseling sessions the counselors are required to follow a protocol approved by HUD.  Evolving over time, HUD’s counseling guidelines and regulations now require distance between the counselors and lenders.  Lenders are required to provide borrowers with a list of 5 local and 5 national counselors without steering borrowers to any specific counselor.  Additionally, counselors are restricted from steering to lenders.
  • The counselor’s role is to educate about reverse mortgages, explain the allowable fees, and terms of the loan so potential borrowers have an understanding of the reverse mortgage.  They also provide other potential options.  They counselors are not to make a decision for the borrower on whether they should or should not do the reverse mortgage.

• Cross-selling is prohibited.  Mortgagee Letter 2008-24 (HUD’s guidelines and requirements) states that a “HECM mortgage originator or any other party that participates in the origination of a FHA insured HECM mortgage shall not participate in, or be associated with, or employ any party that participates in or is associated with, any other financial or insurance activity.”  Additionally if a lender or bank has financial departments they must demonstrate to the Secretary of HUD that they have and maintain “firewalls and other safeguards designed to ensure that (i) individuals participating in the origination of a HECM mortgage have no involvement with, or incentive to provide the mortgagor with, any other financial or insurance product; and (ii) the mortgagor shall not be required, directly or indirectly, as a condition of obtaining a mortgage under this section, to purchase any other financial or insurance product.”
  • Lenders require mortgage brokers sign forms that they do not sell insurance and do not cross-sell.
  • All lenders application packages have disclosures stating that annuities and/or other financial products are not required to be purchased with reverse mortgage funds.

• HUD regulates the fees.  HUD outlines what lenders and third-parties may charge stating they must be customary and reasonable costs necessary to close the mortgage.  Mark-ups are not allowed.  You may find HUD guidelines at their website (http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/ref/sfhp2-15.cfm) and in Mortgagee Letters 2008-34; 2006-07; 2006-04; 2004-18; 2000-10.

• The Good Faith Estimate (GFE) must disclose all fees.  RESPA (Real Estate Settlement and Protections Act) requires all fees be disclosed at the time of application, restricts what fees can be changed and for the fees that can be changed borrowers must receive new disclosures.

• The Total Annual Loan Costs (TALC) must be disclosed.  Providing a comparison of the percent of the costs to the amount received through the loan, this document discloses that the longer one keeps the loan the less expensive it is.

• Sample Closing Documents must be provided at the time of application.  HUD requires that borrowers must receive the sample closing documents as well as a booklet regarding home equity loans.  This gives borrowers time to review the documents they will be signing at closing.  They may also have family, trusted friends or their attorney review the documents during the processing.

• Disclosures must be provided to borrowers at application.  There are a variety of disclosures including:
  • Non-borrowing spouse disclosures outlining the risks if a spouse will not be on the loan.
  • Taxes and Insurances are the responsibility of the borrower(s).
  • Annuities and/or other insurance and financial products are not required with a reverse mortgage.
    • If annuities are being purchased the costs of the annuity are to be included on the TALC.

• Three-day Right of Recession.  As with any refinance, there is a three-day right of recession giving the borrower(s) time to review and decide whether or not to proceed.

• HUD insures and guarantees the funds.  As a HUD insured loan the funds are guaranteed to be available to the borrower as long as the borrower(s) abide by the terms of the loan.

• Non-recourse loan.  Unlike any other loan, the reverse mortgage is a non-recourse loan which means there is no personal liability to the borrower or the estate as long as the borrower or their estate is not retaining ownership when the loan is due and payable.

• There are guidelines for marketing practices.  HUD, The Federal Trade Commission and industry associations review and have cracked down on misleading advertisements.

• State licensing and the SAFE Act.  Many states require mortgage brokers take test and receive licensing in order to originate loans including reverse mortgages.  (Note: FDIC insured banks are exempt from these requirements.)  The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) enhances consumer protections including encouraging states to establish minimum standards for licensing and registration of mortgage loan originators.  The SAFE Act will establish and maintain a national mortgage licensing system and registry for the residential mortgage industry.

Protected MN Reverse Mortgage Borrowers

When doing other types of mortgages, loans or financial decisions seniors do not have all of these same protections.  For example they do not have to go through counseling, have the same disclosures requirements, have regulated fees, are not guaranteed or have the non-recourse clause and often do not require the testing and licensing. Think about these situations that don’t have these same requirements or disclosures:

• A reverse mortgage compares to a regular home equity loan in the fact that regardless of age the mortgages are used to finance lifestyle using the home equity.  With a forward/conventional loan the funds are taken as a lump sum and can be used however one wishes.

• If a senior is selling they have costs associated with sale and receive funds in a lump sum.  No one is controlling how they use the remaining equity from the sale of the home.  And they have to determine where they are going to live.  If they are renting (i.e. regular apartment, independent living, or assisted living) the money may only last for a short period of time and they may still not have funds for future needs.

• If the senior (or anyone) does a forward/conventional loan the funds are received in a lump sum.  They can do whatever they want with this equity.  And they have to make payments which can become difficult for them if “life happens.”

• If they win the lottery they have money in a lump sum which can be spent however they wish.

• With credit cards seniors (or anyone) are not restricted on how they are used.  They can charge for whatever they want.  And they then have created debt that has to be paid back on a monthly basis.

When you hear that seniors need to be “protected from the reverse mortgage” remember all these protections and know that seniors doing a reverse mortgage have more protections than any other loan or financial decision they make.  As with any decision, especially financial or legal, one should be educated and understand the service or product.  And while these protections are in place, the seniors still have a right to decide for themselves on whether the reverse mortgage is right for their situation.

© 2010 Beth Paterson, Beth’s Reverse Mortgage Blog, 651-762-9648

This material may be re-posted provided it is re-posted in its entirety without modifications and includes the contact information, copyright information and the following link: http://wp.me/p4EUZQ-gT

Related articles:

• AARP Has It Wrong About Reverse Mortgages!
• Reverse Mortgage Closing Costs – High or Mythical?
• Don’t Let Fear Keep You From A Reverse Mortgage But Know What To Look For In A Lender
• New Protocol For Reverse Mortgage Counseling
• A Reverse Mortgage or A Conventional Mortgage for Senior Homeowners?  That is the Question.
• I Want To Stay In My Home – Don’t Tell Me To Sell!
• Be Educated About Your Options of Care And Financing The Care
• Who Are We To Judge How Reverse Mortgage Funds Should Be Used?
• Misconceptions of Reverse Mortgages Abound…What Do You Know?