Sir Steve Webb to be keynote speaker at National Later Life Conference

Sponsored by the Later Life Academy and the Equity Release Council, the conference will be held on Thursday 21 June at the Gloucester Rugby Club Business Centre at Gloucester’s ground, Kingsholm.

Sir Steve Webb to be keynote speaker at National Later Life Conference

The inaugural National Later Life Conference, organised by Answers in Retirement, will feature of Former MP and Minister of State for Pensions, Sir Steve Webb, as its keynote speaker.

Sponsored by the Later Life Academy and the Equity Release Council, the conference will be held on Thursday 21 June at the Gloucester Rugby Club Business Centre at Gloucester’s ground, Kingsholm.

Sir Steve Webb is now director of policy and external communications at Royal London Assurance and will be discussing how best to tackle the issue of funding for long-term care. He will speak about how this should be reviewed not in isolation but as part of the later life financial planning as a whole.

He will also provide analysis on his recent paper, ‘Is it time for the care pension?’ and cover a range of related topics.

Sir Steve Webb said: “The financial issues around later life get more complex with every passing year.

“Whether it is the costs of funding later life care, the new options provided by pension freedoms, the growing equity release market or changes to taxation, the need for high-quality impartial advice has never been greater.

“This conference will be a valuable opportunity to look across a range of later life issues.”

Other speakers include: David Burrowes, chair of the Equity Release Council, Richard Graham, MP for Gloucester, former, former member of the Work & Pensions Committee and currently member of Parliament’s ‘Exiting the European Union’ Committee.

There will also be Tony Miles, director of Miles Associates and former head of strategic sales operations at Partnership Assurance, Jacqueline Berry, director, My Care Consultant, Sophie Andrews, chief executive of The Silver Line, a national charity and helpline for older people.

Other session will be hosted by: Simon Washbrook (Popcorn Email Marketing); Ben Lockyer (Lockyer’s Wills and LPAs); Helen Guyan (Perfect Choice Funeral Plans); Matt Taylor (Equilaw Equity Release Legal Services); Ray McCarthy (AIR Sourcing); and Danielle Wilson (Unity Rewards).

The Conference is targeted at advisers working in the later life market. Topics under discussion during the day will include: changing products; consumer needs; political and economic challenges, longevity and advice needs; mental capacity and the future of social care; software and innovation, and more.

The seminars will be chaired by Stuart Wilson, group managing director of Answers in Retirement Group. There will be the opportunity to speak face to face with a broad range of providers in the exhibitors’ area.

Wilson said: “We are very fortunate to welcome Steve as our key-note speaker for the Conference, given his expertise and depth of experience in the later life market.

“Delegates will, I’m sure, be treated to a range of insights across all areas of the later life advice, plus with the addition of our other speakers – all experts in their field – the seminar sessions on their own promise to deliver real value for all attendees.

“Additionally, we have our breakout sessions and the chance to network and converse with both providers and colleagues, so we believe this conference will provide all manner of benefits for either established later life advisers or those seeking to develop new or existing propositions.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the entire later life advice community in Gloucester in June.”

A booking fee will be taken to ensure delegates can reserve a space. There are a limited number of 250 spaces available for the conference.

The event opens for registration at 9am, lunch and refreshments are provided, and all attendees will receive structured CPD.

For those travelling to Gloucester by train, a free shuttle bus will be available between 8.45am and 9.45am, and returning between 4.40pm and 5.40pm after the conference has finished.