Having a free-and-clear home has been, and in many minds still is, the end all, be all of home ownership. Some of those who have achieved this status declare the satisfaction and freedom they felt upon making out that last mortgage payment check. However, this was prominent and feasible during the days when only one income was required and that income had a pension at the end of the rainbow. Coupled with social security, this stream of pension income allowed for a comfortable retirement. Well, we all know how our society and our nation's fiscal picture has changed over time.

Now, in many cases, two incomes are required to live and provide for our children's education. And, in most cases, those incomes are not succeeded by a pension, but, at best, by a 401(k) investment that has been rocked to its core over the last 5 years. In conjunction, our nation's current financial scenario paints a bleak picture for the maintenance of the Social Security program as it is configured today. Oh, and let's not forget about the fact that we are living longer and that health care costs are absorbing a great deal more of our income each month. It is a quandary that many Americans face today, and yet many of them are closer to untapped cash reserves then they are aware and a solution to their problems surrounds them daily.

A free-and-clear home is a great achievement, but not if it means that you are scrounging for money at the end of each month just to pay bills or fill the cupboards with food. The untapped equity in your home is the solution and the Reverse Mortgage is the tool.

A Reverse Mortgage is a wonderful, government-insured means by which to access the equity in your home WITHOUT creating a monthly mortgage payment. Depending on your age and the current interest rate, you can access at least 50% of the appraised value of your home and use it for whatever you want - pay bills, go on a vacation, help your grandchildren with college costs, pay for your long-term care expenses, etc. If you do have a mortgage on your house, as long as you have at least 50% equity in your home, the reverse mortgage will pay off your current mortgage and the rest of the cash is yours to do with as you please. AND, all of the proceeds are TAX FREE!

You have worked hard all of your life and you deserve to enjoy your retirement without worry about whether you have enough cash to last you. The Reverse Mortgage is another arrow in your financial quiver which can help you attain that worry-free status.