Key is the leading independant specialist for equity release, currently arranging 36% of plans taken out through intermediaries in the UK. Key Partnerships is the dedicated business to business arm of Key Retirement Solutions looking after you the introducer.

The equity your clients have in their property is the open market value, minus any mortgage or loan secured against it. An equity release plan allows your clients to release tax-free cash from their homes to boost their finances in retirement without the need to move. Equity release funds can be used for any purpose and tradionally there are no monthly repayments for your customer. With many (Safe Home Income Plans) approved equity release schemes to choose from, you can save your client thousands of pounds by choosing the right one. That's why it's so important that they receive specialist advice.

Clients must fulfil the following criteria:

• Be aged 55 - 95.
• Own their own home.
• This home must be worth a minimum of £70,000.
• Have little or no mortgage - any outstanding mortgage must be repaid with the cash released or from other funds.
• The property must be freehold or leasehold with a minimum remaining lease period of 75 years.
• The property must be of standard construction.

There are three main types of equity release plans:

Lifetime mortgages - a loan secured against the property, which accrues interest until the loan plus interest is repaid when the property is sold, usually on entry into long-term care or death. They are available to homeowners 55+, with little or no mortgage outstanding. Clients can typically release 18-50% of the value of their home, depending on age.

Home reversion plans - part or all of the property is sold in exchange for a tax-free cash lump sum and a guaranteed lifetime lease with no monthly repayments to meet.

Drawdown plans - a drawdown lifetime mortgage has the same advantages and disadvantages as a regular lifetime mortgage, as well as a few more that are unique to this kind of equity release scheme. The main difference with a drawdown plan is that the full sum of money available to the client isn't released immediately. Instead, they decide on a maximum amount of equity they want to release, and 'drawdown' the cash in stages when they want to.

Key Retirement Solutions only recommend SHIP approved plans so they all come with a set of guarantees to ensure your client's safety:

• The right to remain in their home for as long as they choose
• The freedom to move to another property without financial penalty (subject to lenders' criteria)
• That they will receive a cash lump sum or a regular income
• That they will never fall into negative equity no matter what happens to house prices in the future

Refer your equity release clients to us and we can save you time, money and resources by doing all the hard work on your behalf. You will be able to refer your clients, generate new business and receive an additional income stream. We only advise on equity release and guarantee that there will be no cross-selling. Should your clients require any further advice they will always be referred back to you.

Key Retirement Solutions are authorised and regulated by the FSA, with all advisers holding the required equity release qualifications.

Every client is unique and we have developed our service with this in mind. Our advisers create a detailed picture of the clients needs before making a recommendation.

We are also conscious that they are YOUR clients and thus we keep you informed of the progress via e-mail. You may also wish to attend the first appouintment with our adviser to gain a better understanding of our processes.

For each referral that completes you will receive 50% of any procuration fee received by Key Retirement Solutions. This is on average £750 to you!

There are 4 easy steps to referring clients to us:

Step 1
Log on & fill in the client's details on the form. It's that simple, we'll handle things from there.

Step 2
We'll contact your client to offer them a free, no obligation initial consultation with one of our specialist local advisers.

Step 3
Your client's personal adviser will search the market to find the most competitive plan. We offer a 'no cross-sell' guarantee, so you can rest assured your client is safe in our hands.

Step 4
Your client's plan completes. They receive either a lump sum or income to help them enjoy their retirement and you receive your payment.

All you need to do is refer your client to us and we will do the rest on your behalf. We are fully responsible for all advice we provide, with complete Professional Indemnity Insurance covering equity release and a dedicated department to handle the compliance.

Clients referred to us are offered a free no-obligation initial consultation with an adviser based in the client's local area.Theere is no commitment for your client to go ahead with application.