Clear information. Honest answers about reverse mortgages.
Real Stories
These 88 stories were gathered from public online discussions where Australians talked about their own reverse mortgages, or a parent's. We've rewritten them in plain English and removed identifying details. Each one links back to its original source.
We include negative and unresolved stories on purpose. If we only showed happy endings, you'd have no reason to trust any of it.
Filter the library
88 stories
She owned her home, had no intention of moving and wanted to spend her retirement where she'd built her life. Like many older Australians, the house represented far more than bricks and mortar. It was where birthdays had been celebrated,…
When the family received the call that their father had passed away unexpectedly, they weren't thinking about mortgages, paperwork or property values. They were organising a funeral, supporting one another and helping their mother adjust…
It was where Christmas lunch spilled onto the back patio, where the grandchildren raced through the garden, and where neighbours still stopped for a chat over the…
Every conversation with the lender seemed to produce a different…
They'd worked hard, paid off their home and built a comfortable retirement. Their two adult children were doing well, but buying a home had become much harder than it had been for their…
It had been in the family for decades. The mortgage had been paid off years earlier, and with property prices rising, everyone assumed there would be substantial equity left when the estate was eventually…
It wasn't just another asset to divide as part of the estate. It was the family home. The place where birthdays had been celebrated, Christmases hosted and grandchildren had grown…
Her home was almost entirely paid off, she'd worked hard for decades and she was looking forward to slowing…
Their home was worth considerably more than it had been a decade earlier. They had modest savings, received retirement income and weren't extravagant…
Another suggested selling the house and moving somewhere…
By the time they retired, they believed they had prepared…
The family had always assumed the house would provide security throughout her retirement. Seeing it used to borrow money felt…
Looking for a specific worry rather than a story? Search our answers.