Although most retirees expressed the desire to age in place, less than half had really considered any strategies to leverage their home equity as a retirement income source. Since most retirees were not set on leaving the home to their heirs, they may be open to the possibilities of using home equity as a retirement income tool to support the goal of aging in place. However, only 49 percent of the respondents had a comprehensive written retirement plan in place and many of the respondents who had financial advisors, 40 percent, did not have a comprehensive written retirement plan. A good comprehensive retirement income plan should take into account where the retiree wants to live in retirement and should also discuss home equity as either an income or legacy tool, depending on the individual client’s goals, desires, and needs. Doing some homework on the potential advantages of using home equity in retirement would benefit retirees and their advisors, especially if aging in place is the desired outcome.
