About Standard Life Equity Release

  • Standard Life has looked after retirement needs for around 200 years
  • For equity release, we've partnered with experts Key Retirement Solutions
  • Key trades as Standard Life Equity Release to provide content and tools on our website and help with your enquiry

 

Benefits and drawbacks of a lifetime mortgage

Your lifetime mortgage can be personalised to your wants and needs. There are many features and benefits available to help ensure the plan you receive is the right one for you.

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 with a lifetime mortgage
  • You can choose to make reduced or no monthly repayments to suit your circumstances
  • You’ll never owe more than your home’s worth with a lifetime mortgage
  • 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

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

 

What is equity release?

 

Equity release allows you to release some of the funds from your home's value. You have two options: a lifetime mortgage or a home reversion plan. Standard Life Home Finance only offers lifetime mortgages, which is a loan secured against your home.

With our lifetime mortgages, you can access between £10,000 and £1.5 million while still retaining full ownership of your home and having no monthly repayments – unless you choose to. 

With a lifetime mortgage there are no monthly repayments to make as the loan, plus compound interest, is typically repaid through the sale of the property when the last remaining applicant passes away or moves into long-term care.

That means you could give your later life finances a boost, all the while ensuring your home remains your home.

See how much you could release

Am I eligible for equity release?

You could be eligible if: 

  • You’re a homeowner aged 55-84
  • Your property is worth at least £99,000

 

How could equity release help you?

If you’re considering equity release, you likely already know how you want to spend the money. But to help, here are some of the most common reasons why people choose equity release: 

  • Clear existing debts*
  • Pay off an existing mortgage
  • Home and garden improvements
  • Gifting money to family and friends
  • Going on holiday

* You should always think carefully before securing a loan against your home to repay existing debt.

You need to get expert advice before you can go ahead with equity release we’ll introduce you to equity release specialists Modern Lending Advisers, who offer honest and bespoke advice. Unless you decide to go ahead, Modern Lending Advisers' service is completely free of charge, as their fixed advice fee of £599 is only payable on completion of a plan.

All of their equity release advice relates to Standard Life Home Finance Horizon lifetime mortgages only a loan secured against your home.

 

Other options

Before going ahead, your equity release adviser will discuss your alternative options.

  • Home reversion, a type of equity release where you sell all or part of your home to a reversion company for less than market value
  • Retirement interest – only mortgage
  • Later life residential mortgage
  • Interest – payment lifetime mortgage
  • Downsizing
  • Unsecured lending
  • Using existing assets
  • Support from friends or family
  • Or check is equity release right for me?

 

Equity release costs

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

Here are some helpful guides to give you a better understanding:

Compound interest explained
Lump sum vs drawdown lifetime mortgage

 

 

Standard Life Equity Release is a trading name of Key Retirement Solutions Ltd. Registered in England No 02457440. Registered Office: Baines House, 4 Midgery Court, Fulwood, Preston PR2 9ZH. Equity release content and financial promotions have been provided and approved by Key Retirement Solutions Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Any personal data provided on this page will be shared with Key Retirement Solutions Ltd who will use the information to contact you about your enquiry.

Businesses in the Phoenix Group will receive a financial benefit from businesses in the Key Group from the sale of each Lifetime Mortgage or other financial benefits where a customer uses any service provided by businesses in the Key Group typically up to a maximum of 3.65% of the value of the loan or up to 20% for services provided to each customer.

Key Retirement Solutions Ltd used the Standard Life brand under licence.