More to life grows market share

Lending via drawdown remains the most popular way for pensioners to take lifetime mortgages.

More 2 life has grown its adviser market share to a total of 15% in Q2, retaining its position as the third largest lender in the UK by volume of sales.

In the same period in 2015 more 2 life had a market share of 7%, showing more than a 100% increase 12 months on.

Dave Harris, managing director of more 2 life, said: “At more 2 life, we are predicting 2016 will be a record breaking year for the market, with over £2bn of wealth being unlocked. We are seeing significant growth in demand for equity release with more retirees releasing value to help fund their costs in retirement.

“We are confident that we will continue on this stream of growth for the remainder of 2016 and we truly do believe we are on the cusp of something quite remarkable in the equity release market. The market is evolving quickly and will only continue to go from strength to strength as more lenders and funders come into the market.

“We believe in challenging the equity release market and encourage innovation from existing lenders as well as welcoming new entrants in to the market.”

The second quarter of 2016 proved to be a record for more 2 life in terms of total lending and follows a sustained period of growth and innovation that has seen the launch of new products and a market-leading online portal.

The latest quarterly lending release from the Equity Release Council shows that lending passed the £0.5 billion mark in Q2, the first quarter on record to reach that level, which means that on average a staggering £8.2m of housing wealth was withdrawn every working day. The three busiest quarters for equity release have all come in the last 12 months.

Lending via drawdown remains the most popular way for pensioners to take lifetime mortgages, growing 31% to £304m in Q2 compared to the same quarter in 2015. However, lump sum releases showed the biggest year-on-year growth, with a 37% (£56.8m) increase from £152.1m in Q2 2015 to £208.8m this year.

More 2 life is calling for more advisers to make unlocking equity part of a retirement planning discussion. Whether they are going to be advising on equity release themselves or handing referrals to specialist equity release advisers, all retirement options need to be fully considered in order to produce the best financial outcome for clients.

When advisers are assessing their clients, there also needs to be an increased focus on factors such as weight, smoking, general health matters, which could ultimately lead to a better outcome for the client.