Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Reverse Mortgages but Were Afraid to Ask*

*the views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Federal reserve bank of Philadelphia or the Federal reserve system. you’ve probably heard of reverse mortgage loans. but even though these loans have been getting more attention in the media and in academia, it’s possible that you’re still not sure about what reverse mortgages really are.1 ost people have probably heard of reverse mortgage loans. but even though these loans have been getting more attention lately, it’s possible that many people still aren’t sure about what reverse mortgages really are. this is not surprising, since reverse mortgages are a relatively new type of mortgage loan. although reverse mortgages are currently used by only a small fraction of people, their popularity has been growing in recent years. in this article, Makoto nakajima discusses reverse mortgage loans, particularly the most popular type, which is administered by the government. he discusses who uses reverse mortgage loans and how they are used and compares the pros and cons of these mortgages.