Meeting the financial needs of older people is one of the most significant challenges the industry acknowledges that it needs to embrace. With an ageing population, changing customer aspirations and long term care cost considerations, solving that challenge is only going to become more crucial in the future.
The Later Life Lending Event: a forum bringing together the key providers of later life lending solutions including high street banks, building societies and specialist equity release providers – and advisers, both those already offering advice in the sector and those keen to get involved.
The event features presentations showcasing the latest thinking in providing lifetime credit options and appropriate and comprehensive advice, along with panel discussions, offering delegates plenty of opportunities to debate and exchange ideas to consider the opportunities and challenges from the consumer, lender and adviser perspectives.
The Later Life Lending Event 2026 will be taking place on Wednesday 4th February at Hilton Bankside, London.
Please email david.adjei@ae3media.co.uk if you are interested in attending our 2026 event.
Advice Guru
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Aviva
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Aviva is one of the UK’s largest protection providers and has around 19.2 million customers across its core markets of the UK, Ireland and Canada. It has been helping customers for over 325 years and has over four million protection customers.
Aviva’s heritage, flexible product range and claims record all combine to help it live and breathe its purpose and be there for protection customers when they need it most.
Claims are the heart of Aviva’s business and in 2023 it was proud to pay out 97.8% of individual protection claims. That’s £1.18bn, equating to an average of just over £3.2m every day.
Flexible protection to meet your clients’ needs. It takes Aviva.
Hodge
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For more than 50 years, Hodge has helped its customers achieve their financial goals with the skills and knowledge to ensure it creates products and processes for the moments that matter.
Over the years it has created specialist mortgage products to support borrowers who don’t fit the mould. It has used its experience to grow its product offering to better serve brokers and customers alike.
Whether it’s with their personal mortgage, savings, or as a commercial client, Hodge supports thousands of customers across the UK.
Hodge’s commercial clients can expect tailored solutions to suit their needs, whether that’s for development finance, residential and commercial investment or bridging options. While Hodge’s savings team works hard to support customers who want to future-proof their finances.
Hodge is 79% owned by the Hodge Foundation, a charity supporting welfare, medical and academic endeavours.
L&G Home Finance
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L&G Mortgage Club is the largest and longest-running mortgage club in the UK and is involved in nearly one in four of all mortgages in the UK, and nearly one in three of all intermediated mortgages.
Now in its 30th year, it has completed over £1.1tn of mortgages since 1995. It prides itself on providing value to members, always working closely with new and existing partners to deliver great products, pricing and services.
Phoebus
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Building societies, banks, specialist lenders and third-party servicers use Phoebus to service over £120 billion of mortgage and savings assets in the UK and Ireland.
For over 30 years, Phoebus has been trusted to deliver automated servicing solutions to over 25 clients in the UK and Ireland. Its approach is to create a true working partnership with clients which drives measurable results and ROI.
The ability to service many different product types on the Phoebus servicing solution is recognised as a key strength. Multi-tenancy capability allows different brands to be serviced in accordance with different SLAs.
Phoebus manages even the most complex servicing needs and is widely recognised as the market’s most robust and accurate servicing platform. The Phoebus API ecosystem integrates customers to their accounts via mobile and web application and also integrates Phoebus with any internal or external applications required as part of an implementation.
If you’re seeking to digitise your operations and customer experience whilst driving impressive efficiencies through automation, Phoebus should be your partner of choice.
Royal London Equity Release
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Royal London joined the equity release lending market in 2023 with the launch of the Royal London Equity Release Lifetime Mortgage products. In addition to an equity release lending branch, Royal London looks after 8.6 million life and pension policies and is the largest mutual life, pensions and investment company in the UK. Founded in 1861, Royal London offers long-term savings, protection and asset management propositions in the UK and Ireland.
Royal London Equity Release’s range of lifetime mortgages is designed to be as flexible as possible, to ensure that your clients get the financial support and peace of mind they deserve in retirement. By combining product flexibility, market-leading rates and transparent terms, it is confident that its products can be a solution to your client’s needs.
Suffolk Building Society
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Suffolk has been writing mortgages since 1849, although its flexible approach and can-do attitude to lending mean it seems younger than 175.
It’s manual where it counts (underwriting), but it knows that time is money, so it is continually working on its intermediary journey.
Later life proposition
– No max age at the end of term
– Up to 80% LTV
– Utilisation of assets and pensions for affordability (even if not currently drawing an income)
– Repayment, part and part or interest-only available
– Underpins expat, self-build and intergenerational propositions
– Joint Borrower Sole Proprietor.
10:05 – 10:25
The changing face of finance – understanding the later life market economy
Tim Hogg, director, Fairer Finance
10:25 – 11:05
Walk the line – advisers, customer journeys and consumer outcomes
Darren Deacon, head of intermediary sales, Family Building Society
Manjit Kaur, senior later life lending adviser, The Mortgage Mum
Stuart Powell, managing director, Advice Guru
Moderated by: Steve Humphries, proposition director – mortgages, Mortgage Advice Bureau
11:05 – 11:35
Shaping the future – insights from the FCA
This panel brings together the FCA and leading industry representatives to discuss the future of the later life lending market. It will examine how evolving regulatory priorities are influencing innovation in areas such as higher LTV lending, hybrid mortgage models, and flexible solutions for older borrowers. The discussion will focus on the FCA’s assessment of whether existing frameworks support good consumer outcomes and how lenders and advisers can adapt to serve ageing borrowers while maintaining safeguards around affordability, vulnerability, and transparency.
Stephanie Charman, chief executive, The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI)
Thomas Francis, mortgage policy – manager, Financial Conduct Authority
Moderated by: Kelly Melville-Kelly, director of risk, policy and compliance, Equity Release Council
12:05 – 12:50
Lightning sessions: lender insights and innovation in the later life market
This series of lightning sessions explores the evolving financial realities of retirement and the solutions shaping later life lending. Lenders will share their insights into how the market is responding to changing customer needs and delivering support to help retirees achieve financial security and flexibility.
12:05 – 12:20
Rooted in retirement report
Kay Westgarth, head of retirement distribution, Aviva
12:20 – 12:35
Inheritance tax and the role of equity release in estate planning
Robert Betts, corporate and estate planning specialist, Royal London
12:35 – 12:50
Next-generation mortgages – product innovation in the later life sector
12:50 – 13:30
Unlocking efficiency – legal pathways and the role of solicitors in later life lending
A bottleneck that exists in later life lending is the reliance on a single solicitor firm for all lenders, causing delays for advisers and clients. This panel will explore whether expanding solicitor options or adopting dual representation – where one solicitor acts for both lender and borrower – can speed up completions. With input from lenders, advisers and legal experts, the discussion will focus on practical solutions to streamline the legal process while ensuring compliance and protecting customer.
Paul Saroya, director, Viva Retirement Solutions
Matthew Taylor, business development manager, Equilaw
Stuart Wilson, managing director, Maverix Consultants
Moderated by: David Forsdyke, partner – head of later life finance, Knight Frank Finance
Robert has over 30 years’ experience in financial services, specialising in mortgage and protection advice, as well as business, wealth and estate planning. He has held roles in sales, sales management, adviser development, training and proposition development and has been an industry speaker for more than 20 years.
He is currently leading growth and adviser education within Royal London’s Corporate and Estate Planning function, helping to enhance both the breadth and depth of client advice.
Stephanie joined the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) as chief executive in February 2025, having held previous roles within key distributors spanning 27 years.
Most recently, she was group partnerships & propositions director at Sesame Bankhall Group and previously director of mortgages at specialist distributor Positive Lending, and head of mortgages & insurance at Mortgage Intelligence.
Throughout her career working across the intermediary sector, Stephanie has been a passionate promoter of the need for, and value of, advice.
Darren Deacon joined Family Building Society in 2017 as a business development manager covering the Midlands and was promoted to head of intermediary sales in 2022. He has over 36 years of financial services experience and has worked for both high street and specialist lenders. Deacon has worked as an underwriter, mortgage adviser and, latterly, within mortgage business development, and now leads a team of nine BDMs. In his current role, he uses his extensive experience and knowledge of the mortgage market to deliver lending solutions for the older borrower. Deacon is a firm believer in providing excellent customer service and thinks it is the best, and perhaps the only, way to build lasting business relationships.
David is regarded as an expert in the Later Life Lending market. He has focused on this area since 2005. His knowledge and experience is well rounded, having spent 6 years from 2009 with the Financial Conduct Authority as a subject matter expert, followed by 2 years as Head of Compliance for Retirement Advantage (Now Canada Life Home Finance). David has also spent many years supporting the Equity Release Council, including 2 years as a member of their Standards Board. He now sits on their Risk Committee and one of their Expert Working Groups. David joined Knight Frank Finance in the spring of 2019 to form the Later Life Finance team, bringing his expertise and advice to older High Net Worth homeowners. David is passionate about his chosen market, regularly speaking at industry events, writing articles and providing comment and insight to the press.
Thomas is responsible for the development of mortgage policy at the Financial Conduct Authority and leads the Mortgage Rule Review. He has headed the Mortgage Policy team since February 2023. He previously led the FCA’s teams responsible for setting international standards and for cross-border supervision and cooperation.
Thomas has also supervised some of the UK’s largest building societies and was seconded to the UK Permanent Representation to the EU between 2015 and 2019, and to the Treasury Select Committee in 2014. He joined the regulator in 2011.
Tim Hogg is a behavioural economist with over 10 years experience in advising the public and private sectors on how to design and implement regulation. Tim has led economic research into the potential need for later life lending to maintain living standards and has advised several firms on the design of their later life lending products and journeys.
With an extensive sales development background, Steve originally joined MAB as Regional Sales Director in 2015, before taking on the role of Proposition Director for Later Life and Wealth. As a specialist in equity release and later life lending, Steve’s latest appointment as Proposition Director – Mortgages will ensure that MAB and its advisers can help more aspiring first-time buyers and that customers with more specialist lending needs can get on the property ladder.
Manjit has worked in the financial services industry for the last 20 years since graduating from university, working as a Business Manager, Bank Manager and then getting qualified for mortgage and protection advice.
Manjit likes to keep the mortgage process simple, easy to understand and is alongside clients at every step of the journey to owning their own home. Manjit is passionate about helping homeowners and new buyers secure a mortgage that suits their needs.
Manjit and The Mortgage Mum are on the Equity Release Council register, helping clients over the age of 55 access the equity in their homes. They can discuss what is available and how they can help them by releasing equity tied up in homes. Manjit has helped many clients find the right solution for their finances.
Kelly brings over 20 years of financial services expertise, working with both lenders and networks in later-life lending, helping to drive improvements and create best practice. Kelly has previously held regulated positions at Alliance & Leicester and Legal & General.
Stuart Powell is the Founder and Managing Direct of Advice Guru. Advice Guru is an award-winning company which focuses on the education, empowerment and support of consumers and advisers in the Later Life Lending industry. As Founder and Managing Director of Advice Guru, Stuart has grown a reputation for finding innovative ways to ensure that the reputation of the Later Life Lending industry grows and supporting consumers and advisers seeking answers to their questions. Stuart also founded and runs two Later Life Lending Facebook groups, one for consumers and one for industry professionals which have been running for over three years and have over 1,000 members. These members support each other to find the best solution to any questions posed. The latest aspect of Advice Guru, launched in late 2024, is a website-based service that educates consumers, and links them to the best Advisor for their needs.
Paul has worked in the Financial Advice industry for 27 years, and started his career with Aviva, where he become a top adviser, before managing top performing teams in the direct and corporate offerings that Aviva had. This gave Paul grounding to branch out into the whole of market advice world.
Paul set up Viva Retirement Solutions along with fellow Director Mark Lambert in 2013. Viva has grown from 2 to 19 advisers in that time and has built a strong reputation for giving best advice and service, whilst also influencing change to continually improve industry standards.
One example of this is being the originator of the newest Equity Release Council Standard – making it mandatory for all lenders to allow clients to make voluntary repayments on their plans. Viva Retirement have been recognised numerous times within its own industry, as well as being recognised as best in market from the wider industry too. Paul strives to raise the bar in whatever he does.
Matt is our Business Development Director and has worked at Equilaw since 2016. Prior to joining Equilaw, Matt has worked within the regulated financial services sector for most of his career.
Matt heads up the Business Development team, and is responsible for developing the Equilaw brand across the Equity Release market.
Having exclusively worked within a sales environment, Matt understands the complex requirements that advisers and clients may face and enjoys finding solutions to unique problems.
Kay Westgarth is a senior leader in financial services with over 30 years’ experience. She began her later life lending journey with Key Group in 2018, following leadership roles at Lloyds Banking Group, Prudential and Towergate Group.
In 2021, Kay led the launch of Standard Life Home Finance into the intermediary market, driving rapid growth. She returned to Key Group in 2023 as Group Manufacturing Sales Director, overseeing both Standard Life Home Finance and More2Life.
In July 2024, Kay joined Aviva as Head of Retirement Distribution, responsible for intermediary distribution of annuities and equity release. Known for building high-performing teams, she is also a skilled communicator and public speaker, frequently presenting on topics such as diversity and inclusion, where she continues to be a passionate advocate for positive change in the industry.
Stuart is the Managing Director of Maverix Consultants. He is an accomplished Senior Executive, Entrepreneur, Public Speaker, Former CEO & Chairman.
Sturt is passionate about the Later Life Lending market and is a founding member of the AMI Equity Release Working Group, an original member of the competency framework group and a regular attendee at the ‘meeting of minds’ group.
Stuart has also been an industry judge on numerous judging panels and is himself the winner of multiple financial services awards, including “Lifetime Achievement Award” and “Lifetime Contribution award” in 2022.
