What is Equity Release? Equity is the value of your home less any loans or mortgages secured on it. Equity Release is the term used to describe the process of turning some of this money tied up in your home into tax free cash, without having to move. It is generally available to homeowners over the age of 55, with a maximum age of 95. In recent years, people have seen the value of their home increase significantly. However, because of insufficient state retirement benefits and longer life expectancy, people are finding that their cash reserves and retirement provisions are less than adequate to enable them to fully enjoy their retirement. The term commonly used is these circumstances is ‘Asset Rich – Cash Poor’. Equity Release is becoming more and more popular with people looking to improve their standard of living in retirement by releasing the money tied up in their home. Asset Retirement Solutions only recommend SHIP approved equity release plans come with a standard set of safety guarantees which include: The right to remain in your home for as long as you choose The freedom to move to another property without financial penalty (subject to lenders' criteria) That you will receive a cash lump sum or a regular income That you will never fall into negative equity no matter what happens to house prices in the future Visit the SHIP website to find out more about the SHIP code of practice.
