Written by Jessica Guerin, as originally published in The Reverse Review.

As part of our goal to help reverse mortgage professionals advance in their field, we talk a lot in this magazine about changes and challenges. But as 2015 comes to a close, it seems a good time to review some of the more uplifting events of the past year.

Sure, Financial Assessment has dominated the conversation this year, as industry participants—originators, underwriters and processors alike—have had to work hard to adjust to new guidelines. But the challenge has proved our resiliency. It has highlighted our ability to band together as professionals to discuss the issues at hand—at NRMLA conferences and lender-sponsored meetings, online and in person. We are learning from each other and growing together in an effort to better serve our clients.

This year has also seen an encouraging wave of academic research extolling the HECM’s benefits in retirement planning, furthering the industry’s collective mission to gain support in the financial planning community.

Things in the press have lightened up, too. Negative headlines about reverse mortgages have largely faded as national publications—The Wall Street Journal and Time, most recently—are publishing articles that explore the potential benefits afforded by home equity conversion. Many even predict that reverse mortgages will become a popular solution for boomers faced with the cost of retirement and long-term care.

After a long period of change and challenge, perhaps the market can finally begin to realize its full potential. With this hope in mind, the staff at TRR would like to wish the dedicated members of this field a restful holiday and an optimistic, energetic start to business in the New Year.