Reverse Mortgage Association

There is one major reverse mortgage association - the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association or NRMLA.

NRMLA

NRMLA is the primary spokesperson for the reverse mortgage industry and acts as a lobbyist with members of Congress at the federal and state levels on the language of mortage legislation that affects reverse mortgages.

NRMLA holds a national conference annually as well as regional conferences twice a year. Attendance at the conference reached a high of approximately 2,000 attendees in 2007 but that number declined significantly in 2008.

NAIPC: National Aging In Place Council

The NAIPC is run by the same group of individuals who manage NRMLA and many members of NRMLA are also members of the NAIPC. The NAIPC differs from NRMLA in that it is not primarily focused on reverse mortgages, although reverse mortgages are often mentioned in light of the goal of "aging in place."

Other associations

The large "forward" mortgage associations such as the NAMB and MBA have offered more programs and education related to reverse mortgages in recent years, but the relative size of reverse mortgages in comparison to the forward market keeps reverses out of the spotlight.

Importance of membership

Membership in NRMLA is widely viewed as a sign of a commitment to reverse mortgages by a mortgage lender so it is recommended that consumers check if their potential lender is a member.