Equity Release Advisers

Equity release is a long term loan secured against your home that lets you access its value without selling or moving out. You stay in your property, and the loan is repaid from the sale of your home when you pass away or move into long term care.

There are two forms. Lifetime mortgages account for over 99% of all new equity release plans arranged in the UK today. Home reversion plans, which involve selling part of your property to a lender, are now extremely rare. With a lifetime mortgage, you retain full ownership and can borrow between 18% and 50% of your property's value depending on your age and circumstances.

The No-Negative-Equity Guarantee That Protects Every Client We Work with

Every plan we recommend comes from fully regulated equity release lenders who are members of the Equity Release Council. Every client is protected by the no-negative-equity guarantee, meaning you will never owe more than your home is worth at final sale, no matter how much interest builds up.

Later-life lending now accounts for more than 8% of all residential mortgage lending in the UK. It is a mainstream, FCA-regulated product, and the Equity Release Council standards are what keep clients protected. Every lender we recommend is a full member of the Council.

UK homeowners aged 55 and over collectively hold trillions of pounds in property wealth. For many, that money is out of reach while pensions fall short and living costs keep rising.

Around 40% of advisers report clients using equity release for positive lifestyle purposes: home improvements, holidays, major purchases, and helping family members. Approximately one in four customers uses it to clear an existing mortgage heading into retirement.

Equity release is an option some homeowners consider, but it is a long-term commitment with costs and risks and may not be suitable for everyone. Modern plans offer fixed interest rates for life, optional voluntary interest payments, inheritance protection, and downsizing safeguards.

How Releasing Equity Supports Retirement in Practical Ways

Clients at Prescient Wealth & Estate Management use equity release for a wide range of purposes: home adaptations, paying off mortgage debt, funding long term care, gifting money to children for deposits, and supplementing retirement income.

During the first quarter of 2026 alone, more than 5,300 new lifetime mortgages were advanced across the UK. We help our clients make this decision wisely, support them at every stage of the equity release process, and provide support long after completion.

We are whole-of-market equity release advisers. We compare equity release lenders and providers to find the plan that fits your circumstances. No company pays us to recommend their products, and no company can influence our advice. Our services are built around the client. Our services cover the full equity release process and beyond, and our support services are available whenever you need them.

When you come to us, we look at the full picture: your property value, your tax position, any welfare benefits you receive, your retirement income, and what you want to release money for. Our services are delivered in plain english, and honest advice is the standard we hold ourselves to.

What the Equity Release Process Looks Like from First Call to Receiving Your Funds

The equity release process typically takes eight to ten weeks from your first conversation to receiving your funds as a cash lump sum. Your first call is free with no obligation.

If you proceed, your dedicated equity release adviser carries out a full fact-find, assesses your circumstances, and provides a personalised written recommendation. We then coordinate with the equity release lender and solicitors to manage all legal paperwork on your behalf.

We manage the whole process from start to finish. Clients tell us that having one point of contact throughout makes a real difference to the whole experience.

How We Help You Understand Your Tax Position and Benefit Entitlements Before You Commit

One of the most valuable parts of our advice services is helping you understand what equity release could mean for your tax position and welfare benefits. The money released is tax-free cash, but money held in a bank account above certain thresholds can affect means-tested government support.

We explain this clearly before you commit. If there are ways to structure the release to protect your position or preserve a better retirement interest income, we tell you upfront. Our clients get the full picture, not just the parts that look appealing. That is what honest advice looks like.

The total upfront costs of equity release in the UK typically range from around £1,500 to £3,000. This covers the advice fee, lender arrangement charges, property valuation, and legal fees.

A rough breakdown looks like this:

• Adviser fees range from £500 to £1,500. Every adviser fee we charge is disclosed upfront
• Legal fees average around £1,000 including VAT
• Valuation fees typically run from £150 to £400
• Some lenders charge an arrangement fee of up to £600, so total fees can reach the top of the range for more complex cases

Interest rates on lifetime mortgages vary by lender, plan and your circumstances. Unlike a standard mortgage with monthly repayments, interest on a lifetime mortgage compounds over time, so the balance can grow considerably. The interest rate is usually fixed for the life of the plan. We always show you a full interest projection before you make any decision.

**Please note this is a rough guide and the actual cost will vary based on your financial situation, the complexity of advice required, and the service you choose. We keep an updated price list on our mortgage fees page but you need to contact us for an accurate quote.

Equity release advice can differ between advisers. Some advisers only work with a limited panel of providers, so you may not see the full market. As whole-of-market advisers and a trusted estate and wealth management company, our services cover the full range of equity release lenders and products available in the UK.

Over 300,000 people in the UK have released more than £11.9 billion through equity release products. Professional advice can help you understand the costs and risks of equity release before you decide. Most equity release lenders require professional financial advice before a lifetime mortgage can be arranged. A specialist adviser brings structure, clarity, and the support you need to feel confident.

You can read what our clients say on our Reviews page.

How Equity Release Can Affect Your Estate and Inheritance

Many clients we work with want to know what releasing equity means for what they leave behind. Many modern lifetime mortgage products from equity release lenders include inheritance protection features that ring-fence a percentage of your property's value for your beneficiaries.

Any equity release will reduce the value of your estate, and we discuss your wishes for your estate as part of our advice process.

A lifetime mortgage is a long term loan secured against your property. You retain ownership, and no monthly repayments are required, although some plans allow voluntary interest payments to slow the rate at which the balance grows.

The minimum cash lump sum on many lifetime mortgage plans starts at £15,000, and the amount you can borrow increases with age and property value. The loan plus rolled-up interest is repaid when your home is sold after you pass away or move into long term care. The interest rate is usually fixed for life.

Later life lending products have evolved significantly. The later life options available today carry far stronger consumer protections than older equity release plans did.

How Drawdown Lifetime Mortgages Let You Borrow Only What You Need

Rather than taking your full release as a single lump sum, a drawdown plan lets you access funds in stages. Interest only accumulates on what you have actually drawn, which can reduce the total cost of borrowing.

For many of our clients, a drawdown lifetime mortgage is more suitable than a full lump sum. It is part of every adviser's role to look at both options and help you consider whether a drawdown structure may suit you.

If you currently carry a mortgage balance, you can still explore equity release. In practice, that outstanding balance must be cleared before or as part of the release. In most cases, a portion of the equity released is used to pay off that balance first, with the remainder available as a lump sum or drawdown.

Approximately one in four equity release customers uses it for exactly this purpose: to remove monthly payments and free up retirement income. For many of our clients, the ability to pay off their mortgage without selling their home is one of the biggest benefits of later life lending.

If the figures do not stack up in your favour, we will tell you that too. We put our clients and customers first,

If you are a homeowner aged 55 or over and want to know how much equity you could release from your property, speak to us today. Your first consultation with Prescient Wealth & Estate Management is completely free with no obligation.

Our advisory services are wide-ranging and cover equity release services across the UK. We will explain your options in plain English. Whether you want a cash lump sum, want to pay off your mortgage, improve your retirement income, or simply want to understand your options, we are ready to help.

Pick up the phone today or get in touch online to book your free equity release consultation. Our equity release advisers are available and ready to answer your questions.

Important: Equity release may involve a lifetime mortgage or home reversion plan secured on your property. Interest is added to the loan each year, so the amount you owe grows quickly, and it will reduce the value of your estate and may affect your entitlement to means-tested benefits. You should consider whether equity release is right for you and consult your family before proceeding. To understand the features and risks, ask for a personalised illustration. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on any other borrowing secured on it.