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What is equity release and how does it work?

Releasing equity from your home can help you to turn your property into valuable retirement income

What is equity release?

Equity release enables you to access a portion of the market value of your home, minus any debts you’ve secured against it, into tax-free cash that you can spend.

With equity release, you’re essentially taking out a loan against the money you already put into buying your house. You can keep living in your home as long as you’d like.

How does equity release work?

Equity release is available to homeowners aged 55 and over. The amount of equity you can release from your home is based on your age and how much your home is worth. You don’t have to pay anyone back, as your equity release provider will make their money back through the sale of your home when you pass away or move into long-term or permanent care.

There are two main types of equity release:

Lifetime mortgage

A lifetime mortgage is a loan taken against the value of your home. That loan is then repaid through the sale of your home when you die or enter long-term care.

Lifetime mortgages allow you to retain full ownership of your home, making them the most popular form of equity release.

Home reversion plan

With a home reversion plan, you get tax-free cash to spend by selling a portion of your home to a home reversion provider. They get their share of the proceeds when your property is sold after you die or enter long-term care.

The greatest difference between a home reversion plan and a lifetime mortgage is that, with a home reversion plan, you don’t retain full ownership of your home as you’re selling a portion of it to receive your money.

Whether you choose a lifetime mortgage or a home reversion plan, you can receive the money in a single lump sum or over several instalments.

To release equity from your home you need to have an equity release product recommended to you by a qualified adviser who has considered your unique circumstances. There are lots of things to consider, including inheritance and how equity release payments could affect your benefit entitlements or tax obligations.

What can I use equity release for?

When you take out an equity release product, you decide how much equity you want to release from your home. This will be how much tax-free cash you’ll get to spend. You can then use this money however you like, including but not limited to:

Providing financial support to your loved ones

Pay off any debts or loans you might have

Make some home improvements

Give yourself some extra money for retirement

How can I release equity from my home?

To release equity from your home, you need to speak to a qualified adviser. Taking out financial products such as equity release is a big decision that could have meaningful repercussions, such as what kind of inheritance you leave behind. Equity release payments could impact your tax obligations and your entitlement to certain benefits.

Your adviser will look at your individual circumstances to make sure that equity release is the right solution for you. They'll also talk you through all your options outside of equity release products, such as downsizing, or remortgaging to a standard mortgage or a retirement interest-only mortgage.

If equity release really is the best choice for you, your adviser will go through all the products available on the market and help you find the right one for your needs.

All approved equity release providers require you to get independent legal advice as well to ensure that you’re aware of all the possible legal implications of releasing equity from your home. Ask your adviser if they have someone they recommend, so you can be sure to choose a specialist solicitor with equity release experience.

Equity Release Explained

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Equity release explained

As we get older, we want to start achieving our retirement goals. Whether it’s to pay for home improvements, fund retirement, travel, or to help a family member onto the property ladder, equity release is a way of releasing part of the value of your home without ever having to move out, to help you accomplish those dreams.

So, how does equity release work? Equity release is available to homeowners aged 55 and over. The money is released from your home in the form of tax-free cash that you can do whatever you like with.

How much you can release depends mainly on your age and the value of your property. The money you receive from equity release is tax-free, but could become subject to tax later if, for example, you put it into a savings account.

There are two ways of releasing equity – a home reversion plan, where you sell-off a portion of your home, or a lifetime mortgage, which is the most popular form of equity release, where you take out a loan against part of your home and continue living there.

You’ll never owe more than the value of your home, and the loan is repaid through the sale of your property when you die or go into long term care.

Using a lifetime mortgage will reduce the value of your estate, but you have options to repay some or all of the interest, and even pay back some of the capital, subject to the lenders’ terms and conditions.

Equity release is a big decision but finding the right lifetime mortgage could open doors to the things you’ve always dreamed of, whatever they may be.

If you’re considering releasing equity from your home give OneFamily Advice a call. In your free initial consultation, you will have the opportunity to ask any question you may have. Your adviser will help you to find out if a lifetime mortgage is a good fit for you.

OneFamily Advice – whole-of-market lifetime mortgage advice. Give us a call on 08001448244 or head over to https://www.onefamily.com/ to book your free initial consultation.

Equity Release Explained by OneFamily Advice

Equity Release

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Important: The loan amounts above are an illustration of the amount you could borrow. The actual amount may vary depending on your individual circumstances. The figures are not guaranteed and do not constitute an offer to lend. The loan amount will need to pay off any existing mortgage secured against the same property.

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