Essentially, a reverse mortgage is a special kind of home equity loan that replaces your traditional mortgage. The new loan pays off your first mortgage, and creates a new, bigger loan. Interest rates can be fixed or variable. You can take the money in a lump sum, a steady stream of monthly advances or a line of credit. The funds from the reverse mortgage are tax free — you don’t have to pay income taxes on borrowed funds. The key is that you don’t have to pay off the principal and interest like you normally do unless you sell the house or move out. In fact, the borrower (you) has no personal liability if the loan exceeds the value of the house at some point.

So how does the bank get paid? One possibility is that the mortgage lender resells the reverse mortgage after capturing the origination fee. Alternatively, if the mortgage lender holds onto it, heirs may be asked to pay back the entire loan plus interest upon the death of the mortgage holder, or the bank can sell the house and get its money back.

It all sounds pretty good, especially for retirees who are strapped for money and would like to tap the equity in their home.