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Beware of Reverse Mortgage Scams

Reverse mortgages are being used by more and more seniors in an effort to get a loan that does not have to paid back until they move or die, giving them the funds they need to pay for their own long-term care, without relying on family or insurance. It is an incredibly popular practice for those over the age of 62, who own a home and don’t want to be a financial burden on their families. In fact, they are the most popular type of loan for Americans over the age of 62.

However, seniors who are in need of some loan cash sometimes fall into the traps of reverse mortgages scams through fake websites and reverse mortgage companies who charge too much. This is a horrible situation for a senior to be in, because they may lose thousands of dollars to the scam artists, turning them into a severe financial burden for them family.

Usually, the scam is perpetrated through telemarketing, with the senior being contacted by phone and convinced into giving up their personal information for the ‘loan’. The personal information is then used to steal the senior’s identity, often taking out a loan in their name, but making the senior foot the bill for the interest charges and monthly payments.

In the case where the senior thinks they are dealing with a legitimate company, they may be dealing with a phony reverse mortgage companies. These companies will charge six to ten percent of the entire loan amount just for the senior to get the name of a reverse mortgage lender. This is one of the most common types of scams. You can actually get information on who provides reverse mortgages, free of charge, from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

As a result, if you are looking for a reverse mortgage, you need to be incredibly careful not to fall into the trap of a reverse mortgage scam. You should always make sure that before you sign anything, even if the agent is urging you to, you do your research into the company to find out if they are a) legitimate and b) financially stable.

It is also an excellent idea to sign the contract in the presence of a lawyer, advisor, or your children. This will help to avoid the tactics that have been laid by the reverse mortgage scam artist. However, if you simply want to avoid becoming a part of reverse mortgage scams, then you should simply not do your reverse mortgage dealings over the internet or phone.

Conclusion Reverse mortgage scams are one of the worst scams perpetrated by scam artists because it prays on the elderly and their desire to be financially secure after they have left the workforce. All reverse mortgage scams do is rob them of their money by forcing them to pay large sums up front, or by stealing personal information. To make sure you do not fall into a reverse mortgage scam, do your research and never, ever sign anything under pressure, or pay money up front without consulting an adviser first.

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Posted by Terry Stanfield on Aug 15th 2008 | Filed in Retirement | Comments (2)

Long-Term Care Insurance combined with Reverse Mortgages

Many retirees are faced with the possibility of a long-term care event. How will I pay expenses if I cannot take care of myself? I do not want to put the burden of long-term care expenses on my family or children. The good news is that we are not alone, millions of seniors across America are facing the same dilemma and many are making plans now.

There are a lot of things we can do but it is coming down to two main options. The first is long-term care insurance and the other is a reverse mortgage. Some are combining both options. These options are important factors in planning for the time when we may need the money the most but will not be able to do much about it.

A reverse mortgage is a loan that is made to individuals 62 years and over in the United States, which is used to release home equity on a property in one large lump sum, or multiple payments. The homeowner is not obligated to repay the loan until they die, the home is sold or they leave into a nursing home.

For a typical mortgage, the owner of the house will pay a monthly payment to the lender, whereas in a reverse mortgage, the home owner makes no payments and all interest is added to the lien on the property. Now, it may seem odd that there are no payments on the reverse mortgage, but the way that the loan is paid off is that if the home owner moves, goes into a nursing home or dies, is from the proceeds in the sale of the house, or in the event the heirs refinance the estate of the homeowner. If the proceeds of the sale exceed the amount of the loan, the owner of the house gets the difference. In the case of the heirs, they would receive the difference. If the sale does not pay off the loan, then the bank will absorb the difference.

This option is becoming very popular with some seniors when they have to choose between reverse mortgages and long-term care insurance because they get a lot of the money upfront, which can then be applied to savings. The draw back is that it could severely effect the inheritance that you may want to leave behind. Long-term care insurance is an inexpensive way to insure that your family is taken care of.

Conclusion: For many seniors, the possibility of their children paying out of their own pocket to take care of them is simply too much to bear. As a result, seniors will look at the options of reverse mortgages and long-term care insurance to find a way that they can pay their own way through either a loan or a government program. In the case of reverse mortgages, they will be able to get a loan that they will not have to pay back until they die or move, and even then the loan is paid off on the sale of the home. This allows them to get the money up front to help pay for their own long-term care at home. It is of little surprise it has become such a popular trend for seniors looking for a way to pay their own way.

Before you go out and buy a policy go to Long Term Care Insurance Guide. We represent 20 of the top LTCi providers. This gives you tremendous options.

 

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Posted by Terry Stanfield on Jul 21st 2008 | Filed in Baby Boomers | Comments (0)