Aviva has joined Air’s Select Ambassadors for 2024, with Standard Life Home Finance and Legal & General Home Finance also confirmed as permanent members.
Select Ambassadors will support Air member firms in a range of areas, providing practical support with the advice journey, driving product innovation and helping to implement tools for the evolving market.
The panel will act as strategic partners supporting the implementation of the changes following the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) review of the later life sector in 2023 and the Air Comprehensive Conversations Manifesto.
Aviva joined existing lender Ambassadors, Legal & General Home Finance, more2life and Standard Life Home Finance.
By working closely with the panel, members and lenders receive better terms; lenders will have access to support the Air member base, while members will benefit from a broad range of products and expertise from trusted lending partners.
Mike Taylor, managing director at Air, said: “Our Air Select Panel of lenders is a great way for everyone involved to receive better terms, with lenders gaining exposure to our sizeable adviser base and members having access to a wide range of products.
“At a time when products are rapidly entering the later life market, forming collaborative working relationships and strategic partnerships like this is key to ensuring that advisers also have easy access to the kinds of expertise they need to best support their customers.
“We are delighted to bring Aviva into the Select Ambassador panel and firm up Standard Life Home Finance as a permanent member.”
He continued: “A key part of this collaboration is also about driving forward positive growth in the industry, especially towards safer tracks and better customer outcomes.
“The Select Panel will work with our members to ensure they are able to have comprehensive conversations and consistently placing affordability at the heart of the sourcing process, with benefits for all our members and lenders.”
Ben Waugh, managing director at more2life, added: “The past year has been a tough one for the over-55’s, with the nature of their fixed incomes suffering under the weight of economic pressures.
“As advisers look to help these vulnerable individuals, they too need support and resources available to them from the mortgage industry.
“Air Select’s panel of lenders provides market professionals with exactly this – a broad range of products and best-in-class expertise to guide the kinds of comprehensive conversations advisers need to be having to support their clients.
“more2life is looking forward to connecting with service providers and helping them drive positive growth for the later life lending market.”
Kay Westgarth, sales director at Standard Life Home Finance, said: “Standard Life Home Finance is excited to be participating in the Air Select panel of lenders.
“By placing products all in one place alongside leading lenders, the Air Select panel ensures advisers are well equipped to have the kind of conversations that will support best customer outcomes, at a time when many continue to be impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.”
David G Jones, distribution director at Legal & General Home Finance, added: “In today’s evolving market, we are constantly innovating to benefit those looking to access their property wealth.
“That’s why forming strong relationships between lenders, sourcing platforms and intermediaries is key to ensuring all parties have the knowledge and resources to achieve good customer outcomes.
“It’s great to partner with Air as a Select Ambassador as this will help ensure that advisers are supported with the best products and expertise available to meet their client’s specific needs – ultimately driving positive growth in the later-life lending industry.”
Matt McGill, managing director at Aviva Equity Release, concluded: “We are delighted to take a position on the Air Select panel, and the opportunity this gives to continue valuable work towards bringing best outcomes to customers in the later life lending market.
“This is the biggest priority for all of us in this industry.
“We look forward to participating with Air and the other Select panel lenders in supporting advisers, through ongoing training and development of support materials, which in turn will ensure that customers are served to the very highest levels, with personalised solutions suitable to them and their circumstances.
“To the same end, we support Air’s ambition to improve outcomes and protection for retail customers through the Comprehensive Conversations manifesto.”
