has anyone any dealings with equity release??..good thing or bad thing?.
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Subscribehas anyone any dealings with equity release??..good thing or bad thing?.
Don't know much about it, but I've heard of parents taking equity release to help their kids on the housing ladder.
Personally, I've heard bad things. This is an old article from moneysavingexpert - blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2006/07/equity-release-i-wish-i-knew-the-answer/?_ga=2.44548327.2142144904.1562587241-271400022.1535886568
I had to laugh the other day when a friend said it was like releasing the money from your kitchen and dining room and giving the equity release company the money from your bedroom and bathroom for the pleasure of doing so.
Makes you think.
Not a good thing I'd have thought.
If you wish/want/need to help the family, sell up and move into a more manageable place, especially if you're on your own and then give the family what's needed, deposits etc. I did. Who needs to rattle around in a big house with 3 lots of stairs and a 100ft garden ?
I did it a few years ago - I desperately needed to replace my car and pay some bills so that seemed like a good option. But this year I looked at our account , and saw that the interest was piling up quickly. I could see that by the time I needed to sell my house to finance our old age, there would be very little left. We bit the bullet and paid it off - now we own our house outright again and I can sleep at night.
It can be a useful thing, providing you are clear what you want it for. There is no point taking it unless you have a specific expenditure in mind. My husband & I have just taken a small amount of equity out of our property. Yes, the interest can be daunting, but if the value of property continues to rise, then this will offset some of what is owed on your house. ER is now much more respectable, & is carefully regulated. We took some equity from our house because we don’t really want to leave much money/assets when we die & this is a good way of enjoying some of the value of your property before it’s too late! You cannot get into negative equity & the property is still yours until both of you are either in long-term care or die.
Marceline is quite right about it being the correct thing for some people and not for others. Ensure you’re using a fully qualified financial adviser who is able to look at all aspects of later life planning, and not someone who doesn’t, or can’t, look at the wider implications.
The amount you can release is dependent on the age of the youngest borrower, if there’s more than one, and the equity release company being used.
There are different ways of releasing equity and another option is a RIO (a retirement interest-only mortgage). It all depends on what you’re looking to achieve.
Similarly, you will need to take independent legal advice to ensure that everything is being done for the right reasons and you’re not left in a vulnerable position. There are specialist solicitors for this although most conveyancing solicitors offer some sort of service.
I have had a few cases referred to me, by some local solicitors, asking for a second opinion when they’ve been unsure as to whether things are stacking up correctly. This is a heavily regulated area and quite rightly so - please ensure you get the right advice though!
Another suggestion is that you may want to include adult children, or someone else you trust, in any discussions. An extra pair of eyes and ears never goes amiss and a good adviser will be happy to accommodate you all.
We took out equity and are paying the interest off monthly, it is a minimal amount and fixed, so we only owe what we borrowed.
An acquaintance of mine released some equity from her property as she wanted to reduce her hours at work and is aware that she has no family to potentially inherit her flat when she's gone. I agreed that she might as well benefit from her own property. It's greatly improved her quality of life. She's got a good secure pension to look forward to in a few years. It seemed a reasonable thing for her to do. She also talked it all over with her solicitor.
Equity release schemes have been updated and changed since the 2006/2007 link quoted above. That is 12 years ago. On financial matters I would be doubtful of any financial link much more than 2 years old.
With equity release, like everything else, it depends on the circumstances. If you need money for desperately needed repairs or alterations to your house and your children are already in good jobs with their own houses, then equity release is a good solution.
There are now many variations on the basic equity release scheme. A friend has taken equity release where, the sum is quite large but she can phase her withdrawal and just take it out in small quantities as and when she needs it and only pays interest on what she has drawn down. Another has had the capital released but actually pays the interest each month so that when she dies she will still only owe the capital sum she borrowed, as she has paid the interest as it became due.
The best thing to do is talk to an independent Financial Advisor, one who specialises in this field of business.He will be able to talk you through the range of products available and what is the best one for you.
My friend's neighbour lost her house, given two weeks to vacate the premises. I suggest you really do your homework before making a decision.
My late husband took out equity release two years ago. It has been building up by £10,000 a year. I have just downsized and decided to pay it off while I still had the money. My two sons were very relieved. If I had waited until August, when it would have been exactly two years, the company add on another £10, 000 which would have made it impossible to pay back. I would not suggest you take equity release unless you really have to. Why give these people big interest on your money? I think it may just be okay if you have no one to leave your money to, as it comes out of the estate when you die.
Noooo! FiL did it and after he died MiL was unable to buy a smaller house as most of what the house was worth was owed to the company.
Equity Release companies, like betting offices, are only there for one thing and that is to make a profit for their own share owners.
If you have no family whom you want to leave any inheritance to then, I'd say, it could be a good idea but get advice first. If you do have family, then avoid them like the plague because it is could be the slippery slope for them losing everything..
I am in the position where I might have no choice but to look at equity release to pay for care for my OH - NHS is refusing him funding (I am spending money on a solicitor to challenge this) and SSD grossly underestimate his care needs and would only contribute about £35 per week to his care.
I have no idea how I find a financial adviser with expertise in this field as advised above.
The children have received money from us previously from our small inheritances, so they have no problem about it. In any event, with any luck the value of the property will rise over the years to help offset the interest/fees.
I wonder if it’s possible to do it more conventionally via a standard reputable mortgage lender (building society etc). I don’t know, but I’m guessing that when there is sufficient income to pay the loan, they would lend it, perhaps on interest only terms. I divorced my previous husband when I was 49 and needed to re-mortage in order to buy him out of the house. To make it affordable, the mortgage runs until I’m 76. They needed details of my salary and my occupational pension projection in order to decide if I would be able to afford it for the full period. If I wanted to take equity, my existing lender would be my first port of call on conventional terms.
Lucky that is shocking. I sincerely hope you win your case. There is no one more in need of constant care than your DH.
We took out Equity Release with Godiva in 2010, but apart from fixing our roof, we did very little with it. The idea was to reduce inheritance tax for our children, but I'm now horrified to see how much money it's gobbling up and will go on gobbling up. The other idea was that we might do something interesting - more travelling, perhaps - but sadly I lost my husband in 2013, and since then I haven't been in the mood.
Luckygirl Here is a link to the money advice service www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/equity-release-help
But I truly hope you will not need it. Speak to your local Age UK about you DH's assessment. They will be able to give you help and support. They also have a Fact sheet on Equity release www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/information-guides/ageukil6_equity_release_inf.pdf
Good luck
Many thanks for the links.
My late MIL did this. She consulted a solicitor and was advised the best was a percentage deal. This is where say you release 15% of the house's value and when you die you pay back 15% of the current sale price. Not sure if there aren't other costs though but seemed a fair way of doing it
We consulted Saga for equity release, they recommended an FA from ‘The Hub’ he was totally independent, gave good advice, sourced a good lender, we pay less than£100 interest on our loan, so the amount we borrowed will not change. Not all Equity Release providers are out for a fast buck.
In some cases it can stop the borrower from receiving any benefits they might otherwise be entitled to.
This should be borne in mind.
My father now owes 130, 000 and the interest continues to mount up, they can't afford to downsize now, I dread to think what the bill will be by the time they pass away .
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