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Is equity release regulated?

If you’re thinking of taking an equity release plan, the plans we recommend meet the Equity Release Council standards.

Protecting your interests

It’s a regulatory requirement that you get appropriate advice before taking out equity release. At Mortgage Advice Bureau Later Life, you’ll only ever deal with qualified, specialist equity release advisers.

From start to finish, we’re here to make sure you do what’s most suitable for you – whether that’s taking advantage of your property’s value with an equity release plan or not. We’ll make sure you have all the facts and understand your options before you decide to go ahead.
 
All of the providers we work with provide plans that meet Equity Release Council standards and come with extra safeguards and guarantees. These include:
 

You’ll never own more than the value of your home

With the no negative equity guarantee you’ll never owe more than your home is worth. This means you can never pass on any debt accrued through equity release to your loved ones.
 

You’ll still own your home

With a lifetime mortgage, one type of equity release, you’ll still own your home and can stay in it for as long as you like, subject to your plan’s terms and conditions.
 

You can move home

All plans that meet the Equity Release Council’s standards allow you to transfer your plan to a new home subject to the new property meeting your provider's criteria at the time.

 

Extra protection and features

Some plans come with extra features, which may be right for your circumstances. Your adviser will explain them to you so you can find the right plan for you.

 

Downsizing protection

If you need or want to move to a smaller home in the future, your new property may not meet your provider’s criteria. If this happens, downsizing protection, available on some plans, allows you to pay your lifetime mortgage back without having to pay any early repayment charges, subject to qualifying criteria.
 

Inheritance protection

Some plans offer inheritance protection with which you could protect a percentage of your home’s future value to be passed on as an inheritance when the plan comes to an end and the property is sold, no matter how much interest accrues.

 

Other lifetime mortgage features

Money when you need it. With a drawdown lifetime mortgage, you have the option of taking a lump sum initially, followed by smaller amounts as and when you need. You will only ever pay interest on the amount you release. 

Interest rates on any future cash withdrawals are set at the prevailing rate at the time the drawdown is taken. Your lender may have the option to withdraw your drawdown facility.


Why choose Mortgage Advice Bureau Later Life?

We understand equity release isn’t for everyone, and we’ll never say it’s the right option for you unless we’re certain.

Everyone has different needs in later life, our equity release advice process brings together the professionalism of Mortgage Advice Bureau Later Life and Key Group – market leading specialists in equity release.

From start to finish, you’ll deal with equity release experts who will help you along your journey with advice that puts you in control.

 

Find out more

Calculate how much you could release with our free equity release calculator giving you results in seconds.

The benefits

  • You can unlock cash from your home, tax-free, to help meet your needs in later life
  • You’ll always retain full ownership of your home and can stay in it for as long as you wish
  • You can choose to make reduced or no monthly repayments to suit your circumstances
  • You’ll never owe more than your home’s worth
  • You may be able to remortgage your plan in the future to release further funds or secure a better interest rate, although this isn’t guaranteed and may be subject to early repayment charges

Potential drawbacks

Your equity release adviser will also outline the following important things to think about:

  • A lifetime mortgage is a loan secured against your home and subject to compound interest, meaning the amount you owe can grow quickly
  • Equity release will reduce the value of your estate and may affect your entitlement to means-tested benefits
  • Equity release may leave you with limited or no property equity remaining
  • Equity release will reduce your financial options in the future
  • A lifetime mortgage is a long-term financial product and is not designed to be fully repaid until the death or entry into long-term care of the last remaining borrower, otherwise early repayment charges may apply

Your other options

Before deciding on equity release, our advisers will make sure you're aware of some of your other later life finance options such as retirement interest-only or retirement payment mortgages.

See if equity release is right for you

Equity release costs

Knowing the costs associated with equity release and how to help manage them is important.

Compound interest explained 
How much does equity release cost?

Things to consider

Because we play by the book we want to tell you 

  • Mortgage Advice Bureau Later Life offer lifetime mortgages only, which is a loan secured against your home.
  • Mortgage Advice Bureau Later Life offer lifetime mortgage products from a carefully selected panel of providers.
  • We understand equity release isn’t for everyone, and we’ll never say it’s the right option for you unless we’re certain.
  • As part of our advice process, we'll consider whether retirement interest-only (RIOs) and other mortgages may be suitable and can arrange advice on these if appropriate. Advice fee will vary.
  • Unless you decide to go ahead, our service is completely free of charge, as our fixed advice fee of £1,295 would only be payable on completion of a plan.