By David Heilman, guest contributor | Once viewed as a last resort financial option advertised by aging celebrities on late-night television, reverse mortgages have long suffered from a bad reputation. Now thanks to new qualifications and needed program changes by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the “new reverse mortgage” is getting more attention from many and is seen as a viable retirement option.

These changes are beneficial to the industry and will help expand the conversation around how best to use home equity in retirement planning.