30 August 2022

Funding client's later lifestyle - make it simple with the Suffolk

By Andrew Sadler, Key Account Manager, Suffolk Building Society

Few lending areas have seen such development as those for borrowers over 55. No longer solely the domain of equity release, you’re no doubt well aware of the variety of options on offer for clients taking a mortgage in or into retirement.  It’s not just about swapping an existing mortgage deal, we’re seeing an increasing amount of previously mortgage-free clients choosing a mortgage to fund later lifestyle choices.

This is where expert, manual underwriting can really help, as we’ll take a close look at your case rather than relying on a computer to make decisions for us – particularly useful for lending areas such as:

  • Downsizing – clients can purchase and move into a new, smaller home at their own speed, and, once ready, sell their previous property and use the surplus income for retirement spending.
  • Releasing cash – a lump sum of cash to purchase a lifestyle item, such as a motorhome or caravan, or gift to children or grandchildren.
  • BTL income – purchasing a new home whilst retaining the former property to rent out. (providing an additional monthly income and continued future investment).

Mortgages have come a long way since your clients first started out and, whilst they may think a ‘standard’ residential mortgage is out of reach, quite often it might just provide the most sensible answer to their later life plans.

Three things you should know about our later life offer:

  1. No max age limit for capital and interest mortgages. Interest only capped at 95 at the end of the term. We also have no max age on btl or holiday let.
  2. Later life available on standard product range. Max 75% LTV for applicants borrowing into retirement, or 70% LTV for applicants in retirement (50% if interest only).
  3. Up to 40-year term. Max 30 years for buy to let.

Affordability

When calculating affordability we’ll not only use 100% of state and company pension income in our assessment, but we’ll also utilise an uncrystallised SIPP/pension too - we’ll take 80% of the fund value, divide by the mortgage term and use the resulting figure in our calculations. Plus, for clients with investment income we’ll take 75% into account too.

Get in touch

Whether you are placing a case for a first time buyer or later life borrower, a self builder or a small-time landlord and more, you can always speak to us. And, don’t forget, our expert underwriters consider every application individually, so where others see numbers, we see people.

E:            bdt@suffolkbuildingsociety.co.uk              

T:            0330 123 1073 (option 1)             

W:          www.suffolkforintermediaries.co.uk

Submit your cases to us online by registering with our panel.

All details and lending criteria correct as at 08 August 2022

For adviser use only. Please note this content has been supplied by our lender partner and as such, is their responsibility. No party shall have any right of action against Legal & General in relation to the accuracy or completeness of the information in this article.