equity release News

Despite recent problems in the Northern Ireland housing market we have still seen significant increases in house values over the long term.

Gordon Cunningham, Area Manager at Bower Retirement Services, has been short listed for a British Mortgage Award.

Visit any reputable equity release company website and you should see an equity release calculator. In just a few seconds, and with only a few mouse clicks, it’s possible to see whether you qualify for equity release.

Milton Homes Ltd, a Delancey company, announces a major debt refinancing with Partnership

Releasing financial pressure through equity release is an increasingly popular method of turning your assets into a lifelong income and Equity Release Centre can guide you every step of the way.

An increasing number of homeowners are turning to lifetime mortgages or home reversion plans to help fund their retirement. Both are forms of equity release that allow the homeowner to stay in their home for life.

George Osborne’s Emergency Budget will have repercussions for all in one way or another, but for those in retirement at the bottom of the income scale, the pinch may be harder felt. Here is a round up of the key announcements affecting pensioners.

As houses increase in value so does the equity built up in them; and it’s that equity that older homeowners are releasing in order to improve the quality of their life in retirement. But what exactly are they using their tax free cash for?

Inflation may have risen from 3.4% to 3.7% in April, but for those in or nearing retirement who spend a larger proportion of their disposable income in areas where costs have risen far more dramatically, they are facing a figure more like 5%.

Between April 2009 and April 2010, the average house price in the UK rose by 10.5% making this the first time annual house price inflation hit double figures since June 2007.

New website explains to customers everything they need to know about protection claims

According to a recent report in the Daily Mail, one in four pensioners is taking their mortgage into retirement.

Recent statistics published by Bridgewater Equity Release have revealed the top three reasons for homeowners releasing cash from their homes via a home reversion plan are repaying a mortgage, home improvements and other types of debt consolidation.

For many in retirement, every penny counts, and so it is unfortunate that many living on a pension could be paying far too much than necessary for services and utilities.

Releasing cash from a property can potentially help fund retirement aspirations, repay debts or supplement everyday income. However, benefits could be affected and an analysis should form part of the advice process says Bower Retirement Services.

The future role of equity release as a possible means of funding social care for pensioners has been welcomed by trade body Safe Home Income Plans (SHIP) in response to recent Lib Dem research.

A report by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee into the way that older people, especially pensioners, are taxed has worryingly shown they could be on the receiving end of a very raw deal.

A key source of retirement funding could come from Equity Release says a well known All Party Parliamentary Group.

UK based equity release industry stalwarts Responsible Equity Release are preparing to enter the reverse mortgage market – the United States equivalent to the UK retirement planning tool, equity release - and have developed an Industry First Tool

On 6 April 2010, new rules on qualifying for the full state pension will kick in. Currently, women need to have worked 39 years to clock up enough National Insurance contributions to be entitled to the full state pension and men for 44 years.

Key Retirement Solutions, the UK’s number 1 independent equity release specialist, today publish their 2009 Equity Release Market Monitor.

More than two thirds of Brits who headed off to Europe for a life in the sun are returning to the UK. So how will they fund the move back - especially if they are retired?

Award winning Equity Release Specialists Bower Retirement Services has recently appointed Angela Beeton as its new Business Relationship Manager.

A recent Prudential survey says women retiring this year will be living on an average pension of £234 a week, falling two-thirds short of that of their male counterparts; something that could spell difficulty for those women who lose their husbands.

Huge numbers of people approaching retirement age – millions in fact - are heading for a worrying mix of hefty mortgages with no savings. How will they fund their retirement? Bower Retirement Services discusses a possible solution.

Research by Prudential shows that 18% of people retiring in 2010 will do so without any personal pension. Geoff Charles of Bower Retirement Services feels that in the future, equity release will make up a higher % of retirement funding aspirations.

There is a very real fear of having to sell the family home to pay for care. People who might find themselves in this position really need to speak to an IFA as there are other ways of raising capital through equity release schemes.

Recent research carried out by Liverpool Victoria (LV=) has found that over a million Britons aged 50 plus plan to take advantage of the rising value of their property to help fund their retirement.

Fed up homeowners stranded at home whilst the snow continues to fall will more than likely be dreaming of jetting off to sunnier climes; but how will they finance it? Here's one viable solution from Bower Retirement Services.

Bower Retirement Services are seeing their commitment to client care & in-depth advice rewarded through being featured in case studies used by leading equity release provider LV= to promote the benefits of their range of equity release plans.

Perhaps one positive thing to come out of the Pre-Budget Report was the April 2010 state pension rise. But those who saw it as a positive may wish to reconsider considering the rise will not apply to SERPS and other similar pension top ups.

A new Which? report has suggested that energy bills for poorly insulated homes could rise by 35% by 2020.

Retired homeowners who have been dreaming of moving home but face the difficulty of financing that move are being offered a solution; and that comes in the form of Equity Release.

The budget for the Warm Front scheme which offers grants for home energy efficiency upgrades is set to be slashed from £369 million to £195 million over the next two years and waiting times for the grants will increase to six months.

Has the pre-budget report brought festive cheer for pensioners, or has it done little to make a difference to the recession-hit retired population? Is the Chancellor giving with one hand and taking with the other?

Local community retirement groups and Residents Associations have recently been enjoying informative talks from independent financial advisers Bower Retirement Services.

A recent survey shows that two thirds of first time buyers believe they are missing out on getting a foot on the increasingly elusive property ladder due to being unable to raise the necessary deposit. But there could be a way for parents to help...

The accolade of Best Financial Adviser has been awarded to Bower Retirement Services at the Equity Release Awards 2009.

Geoff Charles of Bower Retirement Services says that retirement funding alternatives need to be looked at in light of the announcement that the Pension Protection Fund is running an annual deficit of £1.23 billion.

A recent warning from housing and homelessness charity Shelter urges homeowners facing financial difficulties and struggling to fight off repossession to beware of sale and rent back schemes.

It was recently suggested that ‘pension poverty’ is likely to increase, as new research by AXA reveals 64% of workers plan to rely on the state pension when they retire and the number of workers opting into occupational pension schemes falls.

From 2 November 2009, the first £10,000 worth of savings will be ignored when assessing for Pension Credit entitlement says Geoff Charles of Bower Retirement Services.

Bower Retirement Services has been shortlisted in two categories for the Equity Release Awards 2009.

Getting onto the property ladder is becoming something of an impossibility for many younger would-be borrowers; but there could be a way of raising this money says Geoff Charles, Managing Director of Bower Retirement Services.

Equity Release Specialist Geoff Charles says that releasing equity from a property is a perfectly safe way for retired homeowners to enjoy a more comfortable retirement; providing good quality independent financial advice is sought.

Retired home owners facing dwindling savings, poorly performing pensions and increased living costs are turning to equity release so they can enjoy financial freedom in retirement, says Bower Retirement Services.

Prudential Equity Release Index reveals that despite falling house prices, homeowners aged 65 and over still have £611.5 billion of equity in their property

Sixty plus launches their new website with an intention to provide better service for their customers in equity release, lifetime mortgages and home reversion. They have been providing excellent equity release services for the customers in the UK.

Prudential Lifetime Mortgage research finds that more than one in four Britons will head to parents or in-laws homes during the festive season

Prudential research has revealed the importance of the family home with millions of childhood bedrooms preserved