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Suzanne De Vita is a senior editor on Bankrate’s Home Lending team, focusing on mortgage and real estate topics for homebuyers, homeowners, investors and renters.
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Reverse mortgages can be complicated and expensive, so it’s crucial to shop around. To simplify things as you compare reverse mortgages, we’ve rounded up a list of the best reverse mortgage lenders to consider.
Bankrate’s picks for best reverse mortgage lenders
American Advisors Group (AAG)
In terms of loan originations, AAG is the largest reverse mortgage lender in the U.S. It’s a division of Finance of America Reverse, another major reverse mortgage lender.
HECM, lump sum, line of credit, jumbo, reverse for purchase
For HECMs, borrowers must be aged 62 or older and have considerable equity or own their home free and clear and live there, and undergo HUD-approved counseling
Must continue to pay for homeowners insurance and maintenance, property taxes and any HOA dues
Must pay HECM mortgage insurance premiums when loan comes due
Pros
Available nationwide
Borrow up to $4 million
Typically waives $35 service fee
Cons
Only eight branch locations
Finance of America Reverse (FAR)
Finance of America Reverse’s reverse mortgage packages include unique options for different types of borrowers.
HECM, lump sum, line of credit, reverse for purchase, EquityAvail, HomeSafe (jumbo)
For HECMs, borrowers must be aged 62 or older and have considerable equity or own their home free and clear and live there, and undergo HUD-approved counseling
For EquityAvail or HomeSafe, borrowers must be aged 55 or older
For EquityAvail, borrowers must make payments for the first 10 years
Must continue to pay for homeowners insurance and maintenance, property taxes and any HOA dues
Must pay HECM mortgage insurance premiums when loan comes due
Pros
Diverse product range
No origination fee on some loans
Cons
EquityAvail and HomeSafe not available in every state
Longbridge Financial
Longbridge Financial is one of the top 5 reverse mortgage lenders in the U.S.
HECM, lump sum, line of credit, reverse for purchase, Platinum (jumbo)
For HECMs, borrowers must be aged 62 or older and have considerable equity (at least 50 percent) or own their home free and clear and live there, and undergo HUD-approved counseling
For Platinum, borrowers must be aged 55 or older
Must continue to pay for homeowners insurance and maintenance, property taxes and any HOA dues
Must pay HECM mortgage insurance premiums when loan comes due
Mutual of Omaha offers the option to refinance your reverse mortgage (whether it’s with Mutual or another lender) to a better interest rate and/or higher amount.
HECM, lump sum, line of credit, reverse for purchase, HomeSafe (jumbo)
Borrowers must be aged 62 or older and have considerable equity or own their home free and clear and live there, and undergo HUD-approved counseling
Must pay HECM mortgage insurance premiums when loan comes due
Pros
Available in most states
No mortgage insurance on HomeSafe loans
Cons
Not available in New York or West Virginia
No products for borrowers younger than 62
How to find a reverse mortgage lender
You can start exploring reverse mortgage options in your state using HUD’s FHA lender search tool. The search function allows you to search for HECM lenders by state, county and zip code. Just check off the “Reverse Mortgages” filter.
Not every mainstream mortgage lender offers reverse mortgages. Rather than looking to your bank, you might be better off with a lender that specializes in these types of loans.
When comparing your top options, consider what’s most important to you: your bottom line (the cost), the convenience of the experience and service, or a combination:
Costs – While there are no monthly payments with a HECM, it’ll still cost you money to obtain via the interest rate and fees. The closing costs for a HECM are fairly standard across the board, but there are some services that cost more or less depending on the lender. That said, you might be able to negotiate closing costs with the lender.
Customer service – Reverse mortgages have a complicated set of rules, and if you don’t adhere to them, you could lose your home. Pay attention to how responsive the lender is to your queries and customer reviews and testimonials.
Be wary of reverse mortgage scams. These include claims that a reverse mortgage could help you put off claiming Social Security benefits or buy a home with no money down, or requiring you to sign a document with blank fields.
Who are the largest reverse mortgage lenders in the U.S.?
As of December 2023, the largest HECM lenders based on originations are:
Reverse mortgages give homeowners aged 62 or older the opportunity to get tax-free cash payments while remaining in their home. The payments are often structured to allow you to choose a lump sum or line of credit. You don’t have to repay the lender until you die, move or sell your home. The most common type of reverse mortgage is a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), which is insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). In addition to HECMs, some lenders offer proprietary reverse mortgages for homeowners aged 55 or older, as well as reverse mortgages above FHA loan limits.
The payments from a reverse mortgage can help supplement whatever income you might be receiving in retirement. The extra cash flow can also help you pay for home renovations, healthcare costs or other expenses. A reverse mortgage isn’t without downsides, however. Learn more about the pros and cons of a reverse mortgage.
To determine the best reverse mortgage lenders, Bankrate evaluated lenders based on availability, affordability and borrower experience. Learn more about our methodology.
Andrew Dehan writes about real estate and personal finance. His work has been published by Rocket Mortgage, Forbes Advisor and Business Insider. He’s also a poet, musician and nature-lover. He lives in metro Detroit with his wife and children.
Suzanne De Vita is a senior editor on Bankrate’s Home Lending team, focusing on mortgage and real estate topics for homebuyers, homeowners, investors and renters.
We use primary sources to support our work. Bankrate’s authors, reporters and editors are subject-matter experts who thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate, timely and relevant.