3 reverse mortgage questions seniors should be asking this April

MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money 3 reverse mortgage questions seniors should be asking this April We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Matt Richardson Matt Richardson Sr. Managing Editor, Managing Your Money Matt Richardson is the senior managing editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com. He writes and edits content about personal finance ranging from savings to investing to insurance. Read Full Bio Matt Richardson April 9, 2026 / 2:10 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google A reverse mortgage can be a powerful borrowing tool for seniors who take an informed approach. Getty Images/iStockphoto The economic climate that millions of Americans find themselves in this April likely isn't the one they had anticipated or budgeted for. A new unemployment report showed the rate ticking downward slightly, but only after rising in the month before. Progress toward lowering inflation has stalled, meanwhile, with the rate consistently sitting at 2.4% in recent months – still above the Federal Reserve's target 2% goal. The Fed, at the same time, has refused to cut interest rates at all so far in 2026 after doing so multiple times in the final months of 2025, essentially leaving borrowing costs elevated for the foreseeable future. And this has all played out against a volatile geopolitical landscape with overseas conflicts pronounced and short-term market predictions uncertain.While all of this may be a lot to evaluate for the average American, it's particularly worrisome for seniors, many of whom are tied to tight budgets with little room for financial error. Fortunately, there is a financial source that they can easily tap into this month (and in the months that follow) that can help ease some of these financial concerns – their home equity. And they can...