Korea has become an aging society because of the lowest level of birth rate in the world and rapid aging population. It is likely that Korea will soon enter a league of super aging societies. Aging population can alter population structure and fundame...
Korea has become an aging society because of the lowest level of birth rate in the world and rapid aging population. It is likely that Korea will soon enter a league of super aging societies. Aging population can alter population structure and fundamentally influence labor supply, savings, spendings and investment paradigm. Such changes directly bring about changes in labor and capital market, potential growth level, and the state of national finance. A number of studies done worldwide conclude that the demographic transition very often results in important changes in economic environment.
Most elderlies in Korea do not possess enough financial assets allocated for their retirement. Futhermore, since their asset portfolio is highly biased towards real estate, many do not hold sufficient means to support their retirement spendings. As a result, aged people would probably end up selling their houses and apartments trying to make both ends meet. Hence, if the baby boom generation starts selling the properties in consequence of retirement after 2010, in an attempt to acquire the fund for the living, housing market will go under severe changes. Under the such circumstance, we need to find a way to better implement Reverse Mortgage products, which helps to minimize the fluctuation in housing price and also helps to procure financial stability for retirees even without the help of social security system.
A Reverse Mortgage is a loan available for incomeless seniors holding housing property, and is used to release the home equity, as a lump sum or multiple payments, securing post retirement income. Reverse Mortgage provides cash flows for seniors allowing them to make consumptions, and also allows government to cut spending on social welfare, enabling reallocation the resources for much needed projects. In addition, it may grow into a new source of profit for financial institutions.
Banks in Korea have developed and been selling it since 2004. At that time, it resembled more of term lending rather than an annuity. Korea Housing Finance Corporation(KHFC) has introduced a Reverse Mortgage package similar to that of HECM of America since 2007. KHFC provides its members various benefits, such as tax relief aiming to support their stable living conditions and income.
This thesis demonstrates the problems of current reverse mortgage system and suggests a solution for improvement with the help of credit insurance of guarantee insurance. To sum up, for the public good and commercial feasibility, we should make improvements on the products so that they provide different services depending on the prices of properties collateralized and the types of beneficiaries.
In other words, it is desirable to encourage people living in rural areas and suburbs to utilize a reverse mortgage package of public part and consider getting a reverse mortgage credit insurance on relatively expensive houses. In this case, government ought to provide benefits such as tax relief to the borrowers of products of private sector, and implement systemic support mechanisms regarding securitization of reverse mortgage loan.