Consider a retired couple who can meet current expenses from income and investments. They may have no immediate reason to use home equity. Yet they also know that a major repair, care expense, or market decline could change their withdrawal plan quickly.
The question is whether an additional source of funds would be useful to have available before it is needed. That is a planning question, not a prediction that it will be used.
An option has conditions
Every liquidity source works differently. Cash reserves are straightforward but finite. Selling investments can affect the portfolio and taxes. A conventional home equity line typically has lender requirements and terms that can change. A reverse mortgage line of credit, for an eligible borrower, has its own setup costs, ongoing obligations, and product rules.
Those differences matter. Access, cost, timing, and the effect on other goals should be evaluated together. An available credit line differs from cash in a bank account. Knowing what can be accessed, and under what conditions, can still give a household more flexibility when circumstances change.
Make the choice deliberately
A useful review asks what risk the added liquidity is intended to address. Would it reduce the need to sell investments at a bad time? Help cover a temporary expense? Provide flexibility for care at home? If the answer is unclear, there may be no reason to add another financial tool.
The potential value of availability is the ability to choose later. It deserves attention while the household still has time to compare the alternatives carefully.