EQUITY RELEASE WILL REDUCE THE VALUE OF YOUR ESTATE AND CAN AFFECT YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR MEANS TESTED BENEFITS.
How does it work?
With this plan you sell part of or your entire home to a reversion plan company in exchange for a tax-free cash lump sum and a guaranteed lifetime lease with no monthly repayments to meet.
You can stay in your home either rent free or by paying a nominal rent for as long as you choose and you can guarantee an inheritance to your beneficiaries. Both you and the reversion scheme company share in any increase in your property's value, providing you have not exchanged 100% of its value.
ADVANTAGES
No monthly repayments to make.
You know what proportion of your home will be used at the outset.
You can leave a fixed proportion of equity to your estate.
Flexible home reversions now allow you to release the right amount for your needs today, whilst having a guarantee of further cash releases if or when required in the future.
You benefit from any increase in value of the percentage of the property that you still own.
May be available to those aged 55+ and you can typically raise more money from your home at a younger age with a reversion plan than a lifetime mortgage would allow.
You'll be able to release more money the older you are.
You can usually still move home (subject to certain restrictions).
DISADVANTAGES
You do not typically receive the full market value of the share of the property you sell. This is due to the fact that the reversion plan company gives you the absolute right to live in it rent-free for the rest of your life. They, however do not make their return on investment for a number of years.
You only benefit from any rises in house prices on the proportion you still own.
Reversion plans cannot usually be reversed as you are selling part of your home.
Reversion plan providers do not usually guarantee further advances.
If you choose to end the plan early, charges may apply.
Your tax position and eligibility for means tested benefits may be affected.
