My grandma Katie was a strong-willed woman. She spent most her twenties living abroad, in pursuit of travel and career. She purchased her first home by 31, married her one-beloved around 33 and brought into the world her only child at the age of 35. In the 1940s, her milestone path to ‘becoming’ likely appeared rather unconventional.

Although she may have been considered somewhat progressive for her time, my grandmother’s personal values closely aligned those of her generation. Much like her WWII era counterparts, Grandma Katie’s identity was deeply rooted in the home she’d sacrificed so much to acquire

The HECM Program is gradually earning itself a renewed consumer confidence—and by no accident.

HUD’s 2015 Financial Assessment implementation set in place borrower protections never seen in the program’s history. But even with the promising traction, far too many seniors are still pacing around the HECM with a guarded against the program stance.