Reverse mortgage take-up growing: study

The value of Australia's reverse mortgage settlements grew almost two thirds last year as retirees tapped home equity to supplement income, a new study shows.
Settlements of new loans grew to $520 million as of December 31 compared with $315 million a year earlier, according to a reverse mortgage study co-authored by actuarial and consulting firm Trowbridge Deloitte.
Some 27,500 reverse mortgages, where lenders make advance payments to owners against the value of a property, were made last year in a market now worth some $1.5 billion, according to the study.
The results highlight how a growing number of product providers and distribution channels has helped the loans gain wider acceptance, said James Hickey, a partner at Trowbridge Deloitte.
"This growth coincides with an increase in the number of product providers, providing improved product flexibility and wider distribution channels," he said.
The study showed use of mortgage brokers to secure the loans is growing.
While 72 per cent of all outstanding loans sales were still direct with the lender, some 46 per cent of loans made in 2006 were through brokers.
That's up from 38 per cent a year earlier.
The average age of borrowers was steady at 74, while the average age of new borrowers last year was 72, the study showed.
Lump sum advances made up 80 per cent of loans with regular draw downs accounting for the remainder.
That shows many home owners are using reverse mortgages to supplement pensions, said Kieren Dell, executive director of Senior Australian Equity Release Association of Lenders (SEQUAL) which co-sponsored the study.
"An increasing number of Australian retirees are recognising the benefits of reverse mortgages," Mr Dell said.
"The increasing use of regular draw downs indicates that these seniors are using the funds more and more to supplement their pensions rather than using their equity for one-off spending."