You are here: cherry > Press releases for June 2017 > Equity Release Club announce 10-year Anniversary with Rewards Scheme launch

16 June 2017

Equity Release Club, the distributor for equity release and later life advisers, has today (16th June 2017) announced a major new member benefit to mark its 10-year anniversary.

As part of its anniversary celebrations, the Club has launched a new, free Unity Rewards scheme, designed to recognise and thank all those members that engage with the club, those who use its AIR Sourcing system and also those who are members of the Later Life Academy.

From today, members will earn points on their account for each application, completion, Wills & LPA, legal instructions, KFI request, funeral plan, FreeBen and deposit sense license. There is no minimum level of business to earn points, and the Club will also be announcing additional ways to earn points in the coming weeks.

Once those points have been built up, they can be swapped for cash or benefits, plus points can also be contributed to a nominated charity. Members will be able to log into their Unity Rewards account at www.unityrewards.co.uk to check their points balance and use them as they choose.

In addition to the launch of Unity Rewards, members can now secure access to a free upgrade of the Air Sourcing system – sponsored by Pure Retirement. Version 2 of the system offers: online factfind and suitability reports; a range of online calculators and tools; the ability to instruct Wills & LPAs, and conveyancing; and marketing and download support section.

Launched in June 2007, the Equity Release Club was established to provide advisers with access to a range of quality products with strong commercial terms, and to deliver strong relationships between its membership and its provider relationships.

Over the past 10 years it has become the pre-eminent equity release/later life lending distribution business in the market, with over 3,500 adviser members joining the Club. Membership, which is free, offers a range of benefits including:
• Advanced knowledge of all lenders’ product and criteria changes.
• Free, fully-staffed support desk to help with all enquiries.
• Downloadable application forms in one place.
• Free access to the AIR Sourcing system.
• Market-leading deals and procuration fees, plus enhanced terms for Platinum members.
• Direct commission payments.

Equity Release Club, AIR Sourcing and the Later Life Academy (LLA), are part of the Answers in Retirement Group - the Group of companies covering a range of retirement and later life services.

Stuart Wilson, Group Managing Director at Answers in Retirement Ltd, commented:

“It’s incredibly pleasing to see the Equity Release Club reaching its 10-year anniversary milestone. It represents 10 years of successful and successive growth, over a period which has presented many challenges, not least the fact we launched just prior to the Credit Crunch and subsequent recession. However, we have overcome such challenges and believe we’ve created a proposition that delivers real value and support to our much-valued membership.

“We now have over 3,500 members right across the UK and are very grateful for all their support, and that of our provider partners. The Equity Release Club is now the biggest B2B distribution model in the equity release sector, and a top three overall distributor. To celebrate such achievements, and to reward our loyal members, we are launching a Unity Rewards scheme, whereby members can earn points which can be turned into cash, benefits, or money for a favoured charity. It hopefully provides members with another great reason to use us.

“Overall, we are looking forward to working with, and providing more support and value, to our members. We’ve spent the last six months on the road, meeting many members at our training events, and we plan more of these later in the year to garner further feedback to ensure we continue to deliver the benefits they deserve. Once again, we would like to thank all those stakeholders who have contributed to the Club’s success – we truly couldn’t have done it without you.”

Rachel Pease, Marketing & Communication Manager at Pure Financial, said:

“Over the last 10 years the Equity Release Club has become a significant part of the later life lending sector, helping to educate and up-skill thousands of brokers. When Pure Retirement initially launched, the Club were extremely helpful, giving us access to thousands of brokers which otherwise we would have struggled to engage with in such a short space of time. They now continue to help us reach a significant and growing section of the market, and we look forward to the next 10 years and forging even stronger ties in the future.”

Cammy Amaira, Head of Intermediary Sales at the Family Building Society, said:

“I’m delighted to be able to congratulate Equity Release Club on their 10th anniversary. The Family Building Society and Equity Release Club share the same goal - ensuring under-served later life borrowers have full access to mortgages that are ideally suited to their particular set of individual circumstances. The recent launch of AIR Sourcing is another great benefit to advisers and lenders alike, and will ensure that even more borrowers can benefit for the right mortgage as they enter retirement.”

Georgina Oxton, Strategic Sales Manager, Equity Release and Central Sales at LV=, commented:
“Over the last 10 years, Equity Release Club has been working collaboratively with advisers, lenders and other key industry stakeholders to help drive the equity release sector towards achieving its potential. Also to raise advice standards, drive product innovation and raise the profile of holistic advice in later life. We welcome their passion, enthusiasm and expertise and look forward to working closely with them over the next 10 years.”

For further information on the Equity Release Club, please visit: www.equityreleaseclub.com