---
title: Why a Reverse Mortgage Could Be Right for You
description: They're better deals than they used to be, says legendary personal finance journalist Jane Bryant Quinn.
authors:
  - name: Donna Rosato
    url: https://money.com/author/donna-rosato-3/
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published: '2016-05-11T17:11:47.000Z'
modified: '2016-05-11T17:11:47.000Z'
section: Mortgages
tags:
  - Banks
  - home owners
  - Investing
  - jane bryant quinn
  - Money
  - mortgages
  - owning a home
  - retirees
  - Retirement
  - reverse mortgages
  - Savings
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  - video
word_count: 104
canonical: https://money.com/reverse-mortgage-benefits/
type: Article
source: structured-blocks
---

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![Screen Shot 2016-05-11 at 10.43.13 AM](https://img.money.com/2016/05/screen-shot-2016-05-11-at-10-43-13-am.png)

If you're short on cash in retirement but do have equity in your home, you might want to get a reverse mortgage, says [Jane Bryant Quinn](http://janebryantquinn.com/), author of [*How to Make Your Money Last: The Indispensable Retirement Guide*](http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Money-Last-Indispensable/dp/1476743762/). New rules for reverse mortgages have removed some of the pitfalls that made them problematic in the past.

A reverse mortgage is a loan against the equity you have in your home. But unlike the case with other home-equity loans, a reverse mortgage doesn't have to be repaid until you move out of your home. The minimum age for obtaining a reverse mortgage is 62.

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