Advice process

Just call us to find out more. No question is too small, we're ready to take your customer's call and very happy to help whatever the query. There's no obligation, no pushy sales tactics and no advice fee. We will also check they meet the basic eligibility if they would like us to. If they meet the eligibility criteria and they would like to progress, we can then arrange a convenient time for our adviser to call them.

They can even join the calls and come to adviser meetings, if they want to include them.

The next person they will speak to is their personal adviser. Whilst they aren’t able to get out and meet the customer in person, they'll still be able to have a face-to-face appointment by setting up a video call with an adviser to gain a deeper understanding of their financial circumstances and discuss any particular needs.

The information gathered by the adviser will then be taken away to create a personalised recommendation for them.

On the video call the adviser will talk them through their recommendation, so that they can ask questions and take time to fully understand the product they’re recommending. This is an important meeting so the customer can invite family or a close friend along to join the call. This can be carried out using a three-way process, which the adviser will be able to provide full details on how this works. If they choose to proceed with our recommendation, we’ll do all the paperwork and submit the application for them.

Ahead of the meetings, they will be sent a short biography and photo of their adviser, so that they know exactly who they're talking to when they introduce themselves.

It's important your client appoints a solicitor who is qualified to help them with the option they have applied for.

Lifetime mortgage

They'll need to appoint a solicitor who specialises in equity release to act on their behalf and to provide them with independent legal advice. If they have their own solicitor isn’t a specialist, we do have a panel of solicitors available who we work closely with.

Alternatively, they can contact the Equity Release Council which has a list of equity release solicitors. To help them understand the legal process further, we also have a guide they can download:

Download our guide to the lifetime mortgage legal process.

Retirement Interest Only Mortgage

Our advisers will inform them if you need to appoint a conveyancer. This is a solicitor who deals with the property, contracts and any documentation needed. To help them understand the legal process further, we also have a guide they can download

Download our guide to the Retirement Interest Only Mortgage legal process

We’ll arrange for an independent valuation of your customer’s house.

Once the valuation is complete and the application is approved, we’ll send them and their solicitor the offer. Their solicitor will discuss the offer with them and make sure they understand the implications of a later life mortgage. It’s important to take their legal advice before they sign and accept the offer.

If they have applied for a later life mortgages you must insure your property for at least the amount set out in their Mortgage Offer. This should be sufficient to cover the cost of rebuilding the property.

A completion date will be agreed and the money will be released to the solicitor, who will repay any existing mortgage or debt against the customer's home. If the customer has chosen to pay the solicitor costs out of the loan, they’ll deduct these before paying the remainder to them.