Elderly homeowners own $7 trillion in home equity. Many are struggling with a financial plan to fully fund their lifetime expenses, but financial advisors overlook this hidden wealth. Why? In this one-hour presentation, we take a deep dive into the federally-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) to understand how it can improve the retirement plans of clients, protect against longevity risk, be optimized to fit with client goals, and how to do so in an ethical and compliant manner. Home equity is one of the largest sources of assets for clients, and the HECM is a federally-insured program that can unlock this hidden wealth in a safe and standardized manner.