Mortgaging For Funds

Summary: Almost one pensioner in four does not have enough money to fund their retirement, research from Prudential reveals, and one property-owning pensioner in five thinks they will have to downsize to make up the difference.

Almost one pensioner in four does not have enough money to fund their retirement, research from Prudential reveals, and one property-owning pensioner in five thinks they will have to downsize to make up the difference. Along with those forced to sell their homes, one pensioner in six would consider taking in a lodger. But now, pensioners can obtain cash advances secured against the value of their houses through equity release or home reversion plans. Under home reversion schemes, home-owners can sell all, or part, of their home, and receive a lump sum, an income or both. The amount owed can increase quickly as interest is charged on the interest added to the loan each year, as well as on the original borrowed amount. Interest rates on equity release borrowing also tend to be higher than on ordinary mortgages at around 7 per cent. Unlike a normal mortgage, interest is added to the principal and paid back on the owners' death, rather than the borrower's lifetime. But homeowners who take advantage of the scheme will not receive anything like the actually market price of their house. Instead, lenders typically pay between 40 and 60 per cent of the property's current value. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) nearly 12,000 plans were sold initially. Overall, total borrowing by pensioners through equity release schemes now stand at