The annual National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association conference, to be held November 4-6 in New Orleans, is well timed for an ongoing industry theme: change. 

But on the heels of recent legislation that has reformed the federal reverse mortgage program prompting both a new product and a new lender landscape, NRMLA plans to address the change as a clean slate. 

“We’ve dubbed this year’s annual meeting ‘New Music: Changing the Reverse Mortgage Conversation,’” said NRMLA President and CEO Peter Bell. “The name is a tip of the hat to the musical influence of our host city, New Orleans, but also highlights the significant changes being made to the federal reverse mortgage program.”

The agenda reflects what NRMLA calls a fresh approach to the reverse mortgage.  

“There’s a real opportunity now to change the whole conversation,” says Marty Bell, director of marketing and communications for NRMLA. “We’re going to explain this through our series—from how to engage financial planners to researchers sharing the research they’re in the midst of on reverse mortgages.” 

Conference speakers will include financial planner-columnist Michael Kitces, Texas Tech researcher Dr. John Salter, Stephanie Moulton of The Ohio State University and Irina Telyukova, assistant professor of economics at the University of California-San Diego, who will present her research on why seniors resist taking out a reverse mortgage.

Representatives from the Department of Housing and Urban Development including Karin Hill and Ginnie Mae’s Michael Drayne will also present and will field questions on the new reverse mortgage landscape. 

Based on initial registrations, NRMLA expects attendance to be at its highest level since 2008—another possible sign of the time, Marty Bell says. 

“There’s still some curiosity about where the business is, and the comfort of being with others in the industry during this time,” he says. “It’s important to come with an open mind.” 

Registration is open on NRMLA’s website. 

Written by Elizabeth Ecker