你在考虑申请反向抵押贷款吗?谁应该考虑这样做，谁不应该这样做

The reputation of reverse mortgages has had its ups and downs since they were first piloted by the Reagan administration.

自里根(Reagan)政府首次尝试反向抵押贷款以来，它的名声一直起伏不定。

A financial tool that allows older people to tap home equity and age in place, reverse mortgages can free up cash in retirement and, in some cases, eliminate a monthly mortgage payment.

反向抵押贷款是一种允许老年人利用房屋净值和年龄的金融工具，它可以在退休时释放现金，在某些情况下，还可以免除每月的抵押贷款支付。

Recent reforms have helped to correct many flaws that left vulnerable borrowers at risk, but some issues remain. Borrowers who took out reverse mortgages before protections were enacted are more susceptible to getting in trouble, while problems with inflated appraisals and confusing marketing still plague newer mortgages.

最近的改革已经帮助纠正了许多让脆弱的借款人面临风险的缺陷，但仍存在一些问题。在保护措施实施之前就申请了反向抵押贷款的借款人更容易陷入麻烦，而估值过高和营销混乱的问题仍然困扰着较新的抵押贷款。

“Ultimately, it’s another financial tool that’s neither good or bad. It just depends on how you use it,” said Joshua Nelson, a certified financial planner at Keystone Financial. “Educate yourself and put together a complete financial plan. Without a plan, it can be destructive.”

“说到底，这是另一种既不好也不坏的金融工具。这完全取决于你如何使用它，”Keystone financial的注册理财规划师约书亚尼尔森(Joshua Nelson)说。“自我教育，制定一个完整的财务计划。没有计划，它可能是毁灭性的。”

Here’s what you should know.

以下是你应该知道的。

What is a reverse mortgage?

什么是反向抵押贷款?

Perhaps the best way to understand a reverse mortgage is to compare it to a regular mortgage.

也许理解反向抵押贷款的最好方法是将其与普通抵押贷款进行比较。

Both are loans backed by your house that must be repaid to the lender. But with a regular mortgage, you’re given funds upfront to buy a house and you must begin repaying those borrowed funds right away every month for a set number of years.

这两种贷款都是由你的房子担保的，必须偿还给贷款人。但是有了定期的抵押贷款，你就有了买房的前期资金，你必须在规定的年限内每月立即偿还贷款。

With a reverse mortgage, you're tapping the home equity you've built up by getting a loan against it. The funds are given as an upfront lump sum payment, over monthly payments, or as a line of credit that you repay only when you sell the house or pass away. There are no monthly payments.

有了反向抵押贷款，你就可以利用抵押贷款积累起来的房屋净值。这笔钱是一次性付清的，每月支付，或者是你只有在卖掉房子或去世时才偿还的信用额度。没有月供。

Most reverse mortgages are backed by the Federal Housing Administration and overseen by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. They are called home equity conversion mortgages (HECM).

大多数反向抵押贷款由联邦住房管理局(Federal Housing Administration)支持，并由住房和城市发展部(Department of Housing and Urban Development)监管。它们被称为房屋产权转换抵押贷款(HECM)。

Who can get one?

谁能得到一个?

Borrowers: Reverse mortgages were designed for older people to tap their home equity to increase their monthly cash flow without the burden of monthly payments. To qualify for a reverse mortgage, you must be at least 62 years old. Potential borrowers also must go through a home counseling session to ensure that they fully understand the ins and outs of a reverse mortgage.

借款人:反向抵押贷款是为老年人设计的，他们可以利用房屋净值来增加每月的现金流，而无需承担每月还款的负担。要获得反向抵押贷款的资格，你必须至少62岁。潜在的借款人还必须通过家庭咨询，以确保他们完全了解反向抵押贷款的来由。

House: Reverse mortgages are for primary residences only. Investment properties and vacation homes don’t qualify. You must live at the property for more than six months of the year.

房屋:反向抵押贷款只适用于主要住宅。投资房产和度假屋不符合条件。你必须一年住在这所房子里六个月以上。

Typically, you can’t borrow more than 80% of your home’s value, up to the FHA maximum of $726,525 for 2019. Generally, the older you are, the more you can borrow. The rule of thumb on the percent you can borrow is your age minus 12, said John Stearns, a senior loan officer with American Fidelity Mortgage Services.

通常情况下，你借的钱不能超过房屋价值的80%，直到2019年联邦住房管理局规定的最高贷款额726,525美元。一般来说，你年龄越大，你能借的钱就越多。美国富达抵押贷款服务公司(American Fidelity Mortgage Services)高级信贷员约翰·斯特恩斯(John Stearns)说，根据经验判断，你的贷款利率是- 12岁。

“Say someone is 80, take 12 away, that’s 68,” he said. “So, they are looking at getting a loan that’s worth 68% of their home’s value.”

他说:“假设有人80岁，减去12岁，等于68岁。”“因此，他们希望获得一笔相当于房屋价值68%的贷款。”

Obligations: You’re also required to pay property taxes, homeowner’s insurance and mortgage insurance premium in addition to maintaining the house. Your lender will evaluate whether you have enough disposable income to meet these obligations. In some cases, lenders may require that some of the equity from the reverse mortgage is set aside to pay those expenses going forward.

义务:除了维护房屋外，你还需要缴纳财产税、房主保险和抵押贷款保险费。贷款人会评估你是否有足够的可支配收入来履行这些义务。在某些情况下，贷款人可能会要求从反向抵押贷款中提取一部分权益，用于支付未来的这些费用。