by Steven A. Sass
Source http://crr.bc.edu/briefs/is-home-equity-an-underutilized-retirement-asset/
IB#17-6
The brief’s key findings are:
- Home equity, the largest asset for most households entering retirement, can be tapped by downsizing or by taking a reverse mortgage.
- Few households currently use either option due to behavioral and informational barriers, a preference to stay in one’s home, and high transaction costs.
- To the extent that behavioral and informational barriers impede downsizing or reverse mortgages, home equity is an underutilized retirement asset.
- An open question is whether more retirees will overcome these impediments and tap home equity in response to growing financial pressures.
