The Intermediary – October 2026 - Flipbook - Page 71
L AT E R L I F E L E N D I N G
Opinion
Many older
homeowners are
simultaneously looking
after their own financial
future while also
supporting children
and grandchildren
facing affordability
challenges of their own”
solely on the mechanics of borrowing,
they can help individuals understand
how different aspects of their financial
position work together to achieve
longer-term objectives. In many cases,
that means placing housing wealth at
the centre of the discussion.
Changing needs
The growing importance of housing
wealth has coincided with significant
evolution across the later life lending
market, allowing advisers to access a
range of solutions designed to support
different customer circumstances,
including retirement interestonly mortgages, modern lifetime
mortgages and products that offer
greater flexibility around repayments
and future planning.
This evolution is particularly
relevant because
client objectives are
becoming more
varied, but the
important point
is that advisers
now have access
to a far broader
toolkit than
they did a decade
ago. That, in turn,
creates opportunities
to help clients
achieve outcomes
that may not be
possible through
conventional
lending alone.
The mortgage
market will always
experience periods
of volatility – rates
move, economic conditions change
and affordability pressures rise
and fall over time. However, what
tends to endure are the underlying
demographic trends shaping
consumer behaviour.
We have an ageing population,
growing levels of property
wealth concentrated among older
homeowners and younger generations
facing increasing challenges in
building wealth of their own.
At the same time, families
are becoming more financially
interconnected, with support
increasingly flowing across
generations.
For advisers, this represents
a significant opportunity and
by helping clients understand
how housing wealth can support
retirement planning, family
objectives and intergenerational
wealth transfer, the
advice journey
can deliver
value far
beyond
the next
mortgage
DAVE HARRIS
is CEO at more2life
recommendation. In doing so,
advisers position themselves at the
heart of a much bigger conversation:
helping families navigate financial
challenges across generations with
greater confidence, flexibility
and control.
