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I’m a retiree in a valuable home. Should I get a reverse mortgage?

Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon Money contributor September 20, 2025 — 5.01am Advertisement

I read your article in the SMH recently and kept it for future reference. I am a typical, older self-funded retiree living in a valuable home – should I consider a reverse mortgage? Where do I start? What are the considerations, and what could it ultimately cost? We intend to continue to live here but are keen to free up some of the equity. Peter

Peter, the Latin roots of the word mortgage are “mort” meaning death and “gage” meaning pledge. Yes, it’s a death pledge.

Before committing to a reverse mortgage, you’ll need to sit down and seriously crunch some numbers. Credit: iStock

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