Cornwall has long been considered by many as a little gem in the UK's crown. It has benefited for years from the warmth of the Gulf Stream, keeping the temperature of the sea at a more inviting level than that on the East coast of England. There is lots of coastline with a multitude of inlets, bays, and sandy beaches, making it popular with holiday makers, surfers, and those wanting to buy a second home. Those who were lucky enough to buy a property in Cornwall prior to 2000 will have seen its value increase significantly over the years despite the recent dip across the UK in house prices as a result of the general economic downturn. Some folks have become used to working from home in recent years and have therefore moved house to settle in Cornwall because of its many attractions such as pleasant climate, warm seas and pleasant sea views. There is something uniquely appealing about a sea view to the human soul, and estate agents know full well this can easily put 15-20% on the value of a home. The area of Corwall is small so demand for properties has always been high, with the consequence that prices here have shot up more than in many other parts of the UK.

Equity Release in Cornwall has now become a real prospect for many who have bought first or second homes there. Some parts of Cornwall are popular with the "Jetset" like Rock and are seen to be as desirable as the South of France. This has all helped to skyrocket prices here with places like Penzance, Barnstaple, Truro, and Newquay being amongst the places of highest price rise in the UK according to the Halifax building society, showing gains of over 150% in ten years.

Thus, had you for example, bought a house in Cornwall in the year 2000 for the average price of £99,000 you would have been looking at an average value of £186,000 by 2010, giving you equity of £87,000 which is an appreciable sum. (more...)

If you are a home owner in Cornwell and are over fifty-five years old, you can have any of your retirement needs or wants financed by equity release. Your needs or wants may include a new car, a vacation, medical bills, home improvements especially home improvements done to meet physical disabilities or moving to a new home. Whatever it is, you will need funds to finance it. Without a fixed source of income, you may have difficulties financing these needs or wants.

The fact of the matter is that many Cornish properties including the Cornish Cob build are still eligible for equity release. This means that the home owner can release funds which are locked up in their property. The money that can be released from Cornish property through an equity release scheme is tax free and can be used to fund any need or want. There are no limitations.

Once it has been established that a Cornish property is eligible and qualifies for equity release, the need arises to find out how much money can be released from the property. This is naturally one of the first questions that any Cornish home owner will ask. For those of you who have some knowledge of equity release, you can use an equity release calculator to determine the maximum equity release amount but if you are new to equity release in Cornwell, you are advised to obtain independent advice from an equity release professional. (more...)

Pension release which is also commonly called pension unlocking is the process of benefiting from your pension funds before retirement. You may be wondering if it is for you and why you should consider it. Well, if you are fifty-five years old or older and are in need of immediate cash, then releasing some money from your pension funds may be the only option that you have. The fact is that most people are only eligible for pension when they are sixty or sixty-five; however, not all of them remain physically healthy and can afford to provide for themselves until retirement. These are the people who can benefit from pension release .

The money that is release is normally tax free and can be used for any number of purposes. You are allowed to withdraw a maximum of twenty-five percent of your pension fund as tax-free cash and can use that money to provide for your daily needs, to go on a vacation, to renovate your home or for any other purpose.

There are however a few things that you must consider before opting for pension release. First of all, you will be withdrawing money from your pension funds. This means that when you do hit retirement and is ready to fully benefit from your pension funds, there will be less money available for you to take care of your basic needs for the rest of your life. (more...)