Reverse mortgages are meant to help older homeowners financially, but in 2014, 12% of borrowers in the HECM program were in default on taxes or insurance. To address this, underwriting guidelines were established. By analyzing data from 30,000 seniors, it was found that factors like withdrawing a lot of money upfront, low credit scores, high property tax ratios, and past mortgage payment issues increase default risk. Requiring low credit score borrowers to set aside funds for future payments can reduce defaults without affecting participation much.