Lifetime Mortgage

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How does it work?

A lifetime mortgage is a form of equity release scheme whereby a loan is secured against your property, providing you with a tax-free cash lump sum or a regular income to spend as you wish.

Although there are Lifetime mortgages where you pay the interest (and possible capital) as it accrues, commonly Lifetime mortgages are arranged on a roll-up basis, meaning that borrowers will not be required to make payments during the term of the loan, instead the lender adds the interest that accrues to the original loan amount. ‘Roll-up plans’ can be very useful but borrowers must remember that the amount of the mortgage debt can increase quickly due to ‘compounding’ – i.e. you will be charged interest on the original loan and any interest that is added to the loan account.

Interest is added to the lifetime mortgage loan throughout your lifetime, accruing at a fixed or variable rate. The loan plus interest is eventually paid back when the home is sold which could be when you move into long-term care, or when you and your partner die. Subject to your age you can typically release between 18-50% of the value of your home with a lifetime mortgage.

ADVANTAGES

  1. Choose a cash lump sum or regular income, typically with no monthly repayments to meet
  2. You still own your home so all growth in the value (if any, of course) belongs to you
  3. Loans with a 'No negative equity' guarantee are available
  4. Some plans enable you to guarantee an inheritance for your family
  5. Plans can be taken out as young as 55

DISADVANTAGES

  1. Inheritance amount will be reduced
  2. Interest rates may be higher than for normal mortgages due to the long-term nature of the loan.
  3. The amount owed on the loan can mount up quickly as interest is compounded.
  4. Early repayment charges may apply
  5. Tax position and certain state benefits will be affected
  6. You could raise a larger amount with a reversion plan, especially at a younger age

Please note: You can get interest-only lifetime mortgages wherein you pay interest monthly, but lifetime mortgages are mainly offered as 'rolled up' interest. 'Rolled up' interest is paid off altogether in one final payment along with the total amount of your loan when your property is sold, as described above.

 
 

Warning Text

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EQUITY RELEASE (INCLUDING LIFETIME MORTGAGES AND HOME REVERSION PLANS) WILL REDUCE THE VALUE OF YOUR ESTATE AND CAN AFFECT YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR MEANS TESTED BENEFITS.

 
 

Other Areas of Expertise

Andrea - mid 50s

business owner

I came to see Josh not only helping me plan for my retirement but also in helping me look after a Trust fund for my Nieces. Josh is always quick to respond to queries and deals with all requests in a timely and efficient manner. I feel very comfortable in the fact that if I ask for something to be done or need some advice he ALWAYS delivers.
I have not always had this service from other financial advisors. I would happily recommend Josh to anyone needing financial support.

 

Trevor

Power of Attorney

Following our mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis and admission into a residential care home, my sister and I were looking for financial advice on the options available to fund her care. Our main concern before speaking with Josh was finding an adviser who would provide us with sound financial advice.
Josh provided us with various funding options relating to our mother's residential care provision. These options gave my sister and I the information we needed to determine the best way forward in respect of funding our mother's care needs. Josh provided clear, concise, and timely financial advice, and responses to all our questions were swift, friendly, and easy to understand. He also went out of his way to secure an immediate needs care annuity within the timescales required to meet my mother's urgent funding needs.
My sister and I received excellent support from Warwick Road Financial Services and believe that, without Josh's assistance, we would have struggled to achieve a successful outcome.
My sister and I have a cautious approach when it comes to making major financial decisions. We believe the approach used, and the advice offered by Warwick Road Financial Services, would be of benefit to people who, like us, have a cautious approach when it comes to financial matters.

Darren

IT professional – requiring and receiving ongoing Pre-retirement advice

I approached Jethro several years ago because my wife and I really hadn’t paid any attention to our pension planning. Jethro helped us by identifying various plans from previous employers, and a personal plan that I’d left to stagnate from my contracting days.
The result was that Jethro managed to consolidate all these into single managed portfolios for each of us. One thing we really liked was his clear explanation, regular communication, and friendly but professional approach. He explained things to us in language we could both understand. We found the experience very easy to navigate thanks to Jethro’s detailed and clear explanation and guidance.
We would recommend Jethro to people who need a full-service pension professional to guide them clearly and safely through their options and manage the entire process for them.

Miss Parker

I instructed Claire Adams from Warwick Road Financial services to assist me with consolidating my various pensions into one with Quilter.
Claire took care of everything on my behalf and kept me updated at all times.  Clare was extremely professional, efficient and explained everything in great detail. 
As I was so impressed I also took out life cover, which again Claire found the best deal and it was set up almost instantly.
I would highly recommend Claire to future clients, friends and family as I know they will receive a first-class Service.

Steve

58, Director

We originally approached Lawrence because we were looking for help with our insurance/mortgage and general finances, whilst in our early 20’s.
Before we had met you, we were concerned about obtaining financial advice from somebody who we didn’t know or wasn’t recommended, due to a family members previous bad experience.
Lawrence helped us by putting us at ease, explaining everything in layman’s terms, so that we understood the advice and were always given opportunities to wait, delay or decline any plans that were offered.
As a result, almost 30 years later we still see Lawrence at least once per year to discuss our current situation and our plans. We are in an excellent position financially regarding our mortgage, savings and pensions, largely thanks to Lawrence.
One thing I really like is the trustworthy and friendly attitude he has always shown towards us.
I found the experience very comforting, knowing that our finances were being taken care of by a professional and that our long-term plans were reachable.
The sort of person that would benefit most from using them would be a young couple, starting out in their careers, as we were when we first met Lawrence.

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