Is A Home Equity Release The Right Option For You?

Equity release allows older people to get back money they have invested in their home to live on during retirement. This can be especially useful for those who are unable to fully afford retirement or who do not want to leave the home to their children when they pass on.

Equity release is a product that gives you cash that you need now and usually is repaid after death, or a move, and the house is sold. You are able to remain living in the house rent free and you are required to maintain the residence.

There are several types of this kind of scheme, and perhaps the most popular is the Lifetime Mortgage. They give you a monthly payment and the interest for repayment is added to the amount that the equity release provider loaned. When the house is sold after death, the entire amount they loaned to you, plus the interest is repaid. This gives you a worry free income, with the balance settled after death.

You can also choose to have an Interest Only Mortgage, which means that you get the money from your home, but you are responsible for paying off the interest payments before the home is sold. This is a way for you to be able to leave a bit more to your family after passing, since all that needs to be repaid is the loan amount.

If you want to receive payment or a large sum at once, without having to have the property sold at death, you can choose to have a Home Reversion Loan, where you sell part of the property or house. You are still able to use the money as you like as well as remain in the home rent free, but the amount is already paid for and there is no loan to be repaid on death. The amount available with a Home Reversion Plan is dependent on the percentage of the property sold and the provider chosen.

The benefits to this program include allowing you to live rent free in the property while providing income that won't be taxed. You can also help your heirs pay less tax on their inheritance as well. You also have the option of refinancing anytime that the market will give you a better rate, which allows you to have flexibility with it, too.

There are some drawbacks, chiefly being that it can cause you to be placed into a higher income bracket and reducing any means tested benefits you can get. You also will not be able to leave your family as much of an inheritance than you would otherwise have done.

You should do research on equity release before making a decision. There are many free tools online that can assist you in finding how much you can release, and guides that will help you make the decision. You can find companies that sponsor these programs, and use the agents to get any questions that you have fully answered before you choose.