RATES
HELOC avg 7.30%Home-equity loan 8.13%Reverse (HECM) expected rate 7.68%Cash-out refi 6.93%10-yr Treasury 4.73%
The Equity Ledger
Grounded math · Plain English · Independent
Independent · We don’t sell loans

The honest ledger on tapping your home’s equity.

Reverse mortgages, HELOCs, home-equity loans, downsizing — every way to turn your home into income, with the real numbers and the real catch. No sales pitch, no lead form, no “protect your home now.”

Run the reverse-mortgage numbers → Which option fits me?
A REVERSE MORTGAGE, HONESTLY$450k HOME · AGE 72
What you gain
~$205k

tax-free cash you never repay while you live there

The catch
~$16k

upfront cost, plus a balance that grows every month against your estate

See your own figures →
01

Both sides of the ledger

Lender calculators show the cash and hide the cost. We show proceeds and upfront fees, ongoing insurance, and how the balance erodes what you leave behind.

02

Grounded in the source

Numbers and rules come from HUD/FHA, the CFPB, and public rate data — cited on the page, not lifted from a lender brochure.

03

No dog in the fight

We don’t originate loans. Sometimes the honest answer is “don’t” — a HELOC or downsizing costs far less. We’ll say so.

Start here
Is a reverse mortgage a good idea?

The five situations where it genuinely helps — and the ones where it quietly costs your family the house.
Reverse mortgage pros & cons

A plain, balanced accounting — no “unlock your wealth” spin, no doom.
The no-info calculator

Your proceeds and your costs, in your browser. No name, no phone number.
Reverse mortgage vs. HELOC vs. downsizing

Which way to tap equity actually fits your age, your plans, and your budget.

Latest Analysis

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When the Fed Raises Rates: How HELOCs and Reverse Mortgages Respond Differently
Analysis

When the Fed Raises Rates: How HELOCs and Reverse Mortgages Respond Differently

The September 2026 rate hike didn't hit HELOC and reverse mortgage borrowers the same way. One creates payment shock within 30 days. The other does something counterintuitive.
Reverse Mortgage Calculator Without Personal Information
Analysis

Reverse Mortgage Calculator Without Personal Information

Most reverse mortgage calculators are lead-capture tools. Here's why they ask for your phone number — and how to estimate your proceeds without handing over your contact information.
Reverse Mortgage Example: What a $400,000 Home Gets You at 72 — and What It Costs Over 10 Years
Analysis

Reverse Mortgage Example: What a $400,000 Home Gets You at 72 — and What It Costs Over 10 Years

A worked example using the actual HUD principal-limit factor table: $138,800 in borrowing power, $13,880 in hand on day one, and a loan balance that reaches $311,000 by year ten. The two sides lenders usually skip.