Gabe Bodner used a July 4-themed column to argue that retirement independence depends on planning how to use assets—not just accumulating them.
Home equity sits at the center of that case: Bodner said many retirees are house rich but cash-flow poor, and should consider their home a financial tool.
A reverse mortgage is not right for everyone, he wrote, but for some homeowners it can eliminate monthly mortgage payments, add cash flow, open a growing credit line, and preserve other retirement assets.
Bodner tied the advice to his book Retirement Mortgage Playbook and to his father’s death before retirement, saying the lesson was to live for today while still planning for tomorrow.