The draw activity as observed is illustrating that borrowers are using their reverse mortgage lines of credit in the spirit of the way that product feature is designed according to a Celink executive, and the additional uncertainty that the outbreak has introduced in the economy may have the effect of convincing financial planners that non-market investment sources can be beneficial considering the current climate.

HECM draws increase

When briefing industry professionals on patterns observed in reverse mortgage draw activity, Celink chairman and CEO Robert Sivori asked for a quick report on borrowers’ activity in drawing from their reverse mortgages, and related that there was an increase in activity of over 50%.

“Week over week, if you look at the week ending [March] 13 versus the week ending March 20, we saw a 55% increase in the number of draws, it went to 1,055 draws,” Sivori said. “From the previous week, it was 720. And then the increase in the size of the draws […] we had a 14% increase. It was 8.7 million as of last Friday. The previous week and before that, it was 4.9 million. So, [the size of the draws has almost doubled].”

Draws on reverse mortgage lines of credit have also seen notable increases, Sivori said.

“And then we also are seeing […] some line of credit draws, the standby lines of credit, where some borrowers who had no balance or very little balance, maybe just the closing costs were on there — $3,000 — that did a full draw of $615,000 on that and they’re using it the way it was intended to be used,” Sivori said. “And by the way, these numbers fit January over February, as well. So, it’s been an increasing slope here on the draws being pulled down.”

The need for additional cash sources

This climate of volatility leading to more reverse mortgage draw activity has led to a “perfect storm” for establishing an alternative source of cash like a reverse mortgage according to Jamie Hopkins, director of retirement research at Carson Group.

“In this time of market volatility and loss of revenue sources I would expect people to start looking at loans, reverse mortgages, and other assets,” Hopkins tells RMD. “Right now is honestly the perfect storm of sorts for setting up or drawing from a reverse mortgage as interest rates are low, unemployment is rising, fixed income returns are low, and markets are volatile like we have never seen before.”

The climate of economic instability instigated by the coronavirus crisis has also created a scenario that reinforces why products like reverse mortgages exist in the first place, according to Dr. Craig Lemoine, director of the financial planning program and executive director of the Academy for Home Equity in Financial Planning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“You have this huge economic instability, and [in situations where] we have economic instability, we have lines of credit, we have reverse mortgage draws, and we have a safety net,” he says. “It’s the entire purpose of the product, the entire reason the product’s designed. This product can provide you an income stream for as long as you’re living in your home, and that income stream is going to be certain. And here we are, it’s certain and it’s there. So, I think this is one of the best illustrations of the power of a reverse mortgage product in today’s economy.”

Observing the reverse mortgage’s capability to avoid sequence of returns risk helps solidify why these kinds of products exist, Hopkins adds.

“I think reverse mortgages and credit lines can be a lifeline in times like this. It can be that cash flow aspect that can get you through the tough income and market times,” he says.

Crises can prove greater reverse mortgage viability

For many seniors, a climate of high anxiety will naturally lead to people exploring alternative financing options, Hopkins says. Many seniors likely saw reverse mortgages as one such alternative before a situation that illustrated it as an option worth exploring.

“During volatile times like now, we are seeing a cut back in wages and income sources, even in the ‘gig economy,’” Hopkins says. “This creates uncertainty and fear, so people will refinance, draw upon loans, and leverage their situation to get by. More sophisticated borrows also will see opportunities to borrow during high volatility and low interest rates.”

A crisis can also be a major testing ground, however, and for people who have gotten a reverse mortgage, they are now likely relieved that it is there waiting for them to help weather the storm, according to Lemoine. That means that authorities like financial planners should broaden their perspectives to include non-market sources of income, he says.

“I would hope that financial planners and advisors look towards consumer income sources that are not tied to the market, and even those that are not tied to traditional interest rate swings,” he says. “I can’t help but think that as a CFP professional, where I fit in advising clients and retirees, this reinforces the ability of a retiree and a client to have an additional income source in a time exactly like this one.”

Expanding financial horizons

Particularly in an environment which has seen record new claims of unemployment across the country, the United States is reminded of the idea that economic shocks present themselves periodically.

“I understand that from a retiree standpoint and the age that borrowers get into reverse mortgages, we may be beyond [concerns related to unemployment],” he says. “But we see economic shock every decade or so. There are always big economic shocks, they keep coming. We are reminded of that right now.”

It’s precisely for that reason that reverse mortgages should at minimum be re-evaluated, he says.

“I would believe and hope that financial planners and professionals reevaluate this very valuable resource and product as far as an income line declines,” he says. We can’t ignore that more and more retirees today than ever before don’t have pensions, and have gone to defined contribution 401K plans where we have fewer pensions offered. So, there’s even fewer permanent income solutions. So, I really hope that one takeaway from this disruption is that we see more activity in the reverse mortgage space and line of credit space for that reason.”

Still, many people do still view reverse mortgages as loans of last resort, though seeing greater use in a down market may help to prove their utility, Hopkins adds.

“[People tend to go] back to borrowing from the home in times of fear and uncertainty,” Hopkins says. “There is good news in that using reverse mortgages in down markets is not a bad thing from the borrower or retirees standpoint, but I do hope that these loans are being used appropriately in a financial and retirement plan and with a well-qualified advisor.”