Equity Release Lifetime Mortgage – An effective Retirement planning tool

Over the past few decades, equity release is into the market. Nowadays equity release lifetime mortgage is considered as the major retirement planning tool. Contrary to older schemes, it is now emerged as a specialist form of financing where both advisors and providers are highly regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

This type of finance is also gaining attention as a mode of meeting the costs of long-term care that might otherwise fall on the state, and for estate planning, to help bring down the possible inheritance tax burden.

Elaborated in several different ways such as lifetime mortgages, home reversion or home income plans, equity release lifetime mortgage schemes and so on, all schemes precisely provide a mechanism to release the value of the equity linked up to your home.

Equity release lifetime mortgage provides an easy way to release some of the value of your home in retirement when needed most, without having to sell it or move out, and can be the best option for many who need additional money to increase either their spending power for luxuries, or simply to cover the every costs of living when current pension provision is inadequate.

What is Equity Release Mortgage?

In simple words, equity release mortgage means selling your house to get instant cash or a steady income. The best part is that you will be allowed to live in that house till your death. There are various situations in which this can happen, and there are both advantages and disadvantages to these modes.

Now comes in detail. A lifetime mortgage is a type of loan that uses the property as collateral. In this case, owner does not make any payment. The owner will live in his house until his death. When the owner dies, the property gets sold. However, in some cases, it can be sold if the owner or owners are placed in a nursing care facility.

There are disadvantages of lifetime mortgages, as the owner or owners must own property free and clear. If the property is not paid for, you will have to think of a second mortgage or a refinance. This can sometimes be a big problem for the elderly. This also may block your assets that you wish to pass on to your children or loved ones.

On the other hand, an Equity release mortgage works in a different way than a conventional mortgage does. With a equity release mortgage, someone borrows money to purchase your house, or it may be a portion of the property. You receive monthly payments on the loan, and you remain in the house. This allows you to have a steady monthly income for the rest of your life.