「退休」對於大多數人未來生活而言，可能會面臨嚴重的財務難題，因為退休之後可能沒有第二個機會能獲得正常的收入，而卻必須面臨退休生活之開支以及老年醫療看護之問題，因此在工作階段對於退休金的規劃設計適當與否愈顯重要，以解決老年人退休生活的經濟安全。而目前退休金籌措之來源，除有政府提供之社會保險、企業所提撥之退休金、個人所購買之商業年金保險、存款、投資收入之外，在英美等國市場上發展出一種為老年人退休生活融資的工具──反向房屋抵押貸款(Reverse Mortgage)，使老年人得以利用其房屋融資、為其取得生活所需之金錢支柱之同時，而仍保有房屋之所有權，直到老年人死亡、自願搬離或者出售房屋，而在貸款期間，並不需償還任何金錢予貸款人。 英美各國之所以發展反向房屋抵押貸款商品之主要原因，係因面臨戰後嬰兒潮之族群屆至退休年齡，使政府社會補助系統日益沉重；而且在平均餘命增加所產生一連串健康照護等問題，致退休金系統之保障可能不足情況下，於1980年代開始蓬勃發展反向房屋抵押貸款。而我國由於人口老化快速、生育率逐漸下降、退休所得適足度不足以及自有住宅率高等前提下，有發展反向房屋抵押貸款之潛力。 本研究將以美國反向房屋抵押貸款市場為基礎，分析其主要內容和借貸雙方之間的權利義務。由於台灣目前之退休市場上，還未開發反向房屋抵押貸款此種商品，若要發行此種商品，對於政府、金融機構或者是消費者，勢必是一項新的考驗，而且可能面臨以下幾個問題：反向房屋抵押是否為我國所承認之抵押權？若非，應如何因應？若反向房屋抵押貸款為我國所承認之抵押權，則抵押人之權利義務應如何調整，以保障抵押權人之利益？反向房屋抵押貸款之特性於我國適用時，借貸雙方之權利義務是否有調整之必要？若是，應如何為之？ 本研究僅針對反向房屋抵押貸款於我國發行之可行性，並未針對應由何機構發行此種商品為宜，而僅就現行民法規定作初步分析，探究反向房屋抵押貸款於我國適用時有無衝突之可能。另再比較美國及其他發行反向房屋抵押貸款之國家，相關之規範或制定內容之發展經驗，對我國具有相當之啟示且可發揮相當程度之指標性作用，可供我國未來金融實務發展上之借鏡與參考，希冀有助於我國發行反向房屋貸款時達到最佳效益。

The purposes of this study were to describe and categorize the types of clients seeking reverse mortgage counseling, and to document the growth in demand for reverse mortgage counseling from one counseling center: The USU Family Life Center - Housing and Financial Counseling Services (FLC HFC). A second purpose was to gain a better understanding of the reasons why more senior Americans are seeking reverse mortgages. A third purpose was to gain a better understanding of the retirement preparedness of current seniors seeking reverse mortgages, which could lead to improved counseling services, early retirement intervention awareness, and encourage increased pre-retirement preparation. Information was collected from 361 inactive reverse mortgage counseling files at the FLC HFC. A subset of 117 more recent and complete files was used to describe, categorize, and gain greater understanding of the clients seeking reverse mortgage counseling, their reasons for considering a reverse mortgage, and their retirement preparation. Descriptive statistics, crosstabs, ANOVAS, and frequency tables were used. Clientele were mostly Caucasian, married, and retired, and their mean age was 74 for males and 72 for females. Average annual income per client household was $29,483, ranging from $7,860 to $92,400. Most clients were mortgagors compared to homeowners with the most common reason for seeking a reverse mortgage to pay off an existing mortgage followed by increasing income. Slightly more than half (51.4%) did not obtain a reverse mortgage; of those who did, 85.7% received all or some of their funds as a lump sum. This study was unique in that it analyzed clients seeking counseling for a reverse mortgage rather than just the borrowers who originated a reverse mortgage. It also looked at their reasons for seeking the reverse mortgage. Younger clients were more likely to desire to pay off an existing forward mortgage; older clients were more likely to need increased income. The practical significance of the study's findings can be used to encourage the preparation of near-retirement adults and to encourage senior mortgagors to carefully plan the use of funds received from a reverse mortgage leading to an increase in the financial well-being of seniors.