Later Life Planning Made Easy For You

Welcome to Simply Equity Release - your guide to later life planning

We specialise in later life planning and equity release in particular, helping homeowners enjoy a more comfortable retirement by unlocking some of the equity tied up in their home. We provide a wealth of clear, expert information and reviews of leading providers, to guide you through the process and help you make a more informed decision on whether releasing equity is the right choice for you.

Simply Equity Release is a member of the Equity Release Council (ERC). Our experienced experts provide impartial and straightforward answers to your questions, including:

What is equity release? All you need to know about equity release and how it works
Is equity release safe? A close look at how equity release is regulated to help you understand the codes of conduct reputable equity release providers adhere to
How much equity can I release? Work out the amount of equity you have tied up in the value of your home

Helpful information about equity release

> Pros & Cons of equity release

> Types of equity release available

> Are you eligible for equity release?

> What happens when you die?

Where can I get advice on later life financial planning?

Simply Equity Release doesn't recommend plans or give advice. Our aim is to guide you through your options, answer your questions and give you the information you need to make better choices. You can be confident the information we provide is clear and honest.

We chose to work in association with Age Partnership after careful thought. They're award-winning equity release specialists, able to research and compare plans with some of the market leading equity release providers, to find what’s right for you.

As market leaders and the UK’s number 1 equity release adviser*, Age Partnership is committed to helping you make the most of your finances, negotiating preferential rates and deals you may struggle to find elsewhere.

Reviews of leading equity release companies

Calculate how much equity you could release

Compare equity release interest rates - April 2025

Who governs equity release in the UK?

We appreciate that peace of mind is a huge factor in making decisions about how best to plan for later life. You and your loved ones may find it reassuring to know that anyone advising on or selling equity release must be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which means you also have access to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if needed.

We'd also suggest you look for providers who are members of the Equity Release Council - a trade body that promotes high standards of conduct to safeguard your interests.

Age Partnership is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and is also a member of the Equity Release Council, so you can be confident that you're in safe hands and will be treated fairly. For further peace of mind, take a look at Age Partnership's most up-to-date Trustpilot reviews.

Help and guidance on later life planning

Planning your retirement income

Find out how you can use your pension pot to ensure a more comfortable retirement.

Arranging a funeral

Find helpful information on what to do when someone dies and how to arrange a funeral.

Paying for long term care

Find out how equity release may be one way to help fund care in your later years.

Meet our later life planning experts

Ashley Shepherd

Ashley is co-founder and Managing Director of Simply Equity Release and personal finance website Over50choices, a member of the Equity Release Council and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Ashley’s career in personal finance spans over 30 years. From humble beginnings working in a branch of the Cheltenham & Gloucester, he rose quickly through the management ranks of household names such as Egg, Sun Life and the Stroud & Swindon Building Society, before becoming Marketing Director at AXA Wealth, one of the UK’s largest wealth management firms.

Having survived cancer in his 50s and experiencing first-hand the fear of not having plans in place, Ashley and his wife Claire have made it their mission to help others take control of their finances in later life.

Find out more about our expert author Ashley Shepherd.

Claire Shepherd

Claire is the co-founder of Simply Equity Release and our Customer Services Director.

Like Ashley, Claire has also enjoyed a successful career in personal finance, but hers has been from a different perspective: that of you and me, the customer. Having held senior customer-facing roles, Claire understands what information can be helpful to people when making a financial decision and how important it is that this information is honest, balanced and easy to understand.

We’re proud and grateful that Claire and Ashley’s combined expertise and commitment to making financial education for the over 50s clear and simple is recognised by our customers with 5-star Feefo reviews.

Find out more about our expert author Claire Shepherd.

Next steps

Take a look around to find useful information on everything from the costs involved, how much you can get , frequently asked questions and lots more helpful information.

Or use our equity release calculator to get an idea of how much money you could unlock from your home.

Try our free equity release calculator

Ways to contact us

* UK’s No.1 is based on the volume of plans, ISS data 2022

Help and advice in taking control

What happens on death?

Here we explain in detail what will need to be done with your equity release plan when you die and how the loan is repaid.

Costs, fees & charges

Everything you need to know about the costs involved in arranging equity release. See a breakdown of equity release costs and find out how much you could get.

Equity release FAQs

Find answers to some of the most important questions to ask about equity release with our helpful homeowners FAQ.

Latest blog posts

Tue 23 Jan 2024

What does Martin Lewis think of equity release in 2025?

Sun 8 Jan 2023

Equity release and the cost of living crisis in 2023

See all blog posts

How this site works

Our aim is to provide you with clear and accurate information to help you research your chosen financial products and services. The material on this site is for general information only and does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation.

If a link has an * by it, it means it is an affiliated link to an insurance company or broker that may result in a payment to the site. Should you use the equity release calculator, speak to an Age Partnership adviser and take out a plan out using their services, we receive a commission, however this will not affect the price you pay.

Also, from time to time you may see advertisements from third party companies who pay us a fee to advertise their services on our site.

None of the above arrangements constitute advice or recommendations, as other products and companies are available. You should always obtain independent, professional advice for your own situation.

The information provided on this site is accurate at the date of publication, occasionally however, things will change before we have had the opportunity to update them, so please do check. Always do your own research and take independent advice.

We do not investigate the solvency of any company mentioned on our website and are not responsible for the content on websites we link to.

Simply Equity Release is a member of the Equity Release Council and part of the Over50choices Group who is regulated by the FCA (No.594280) for insurance products.

Later life planning made easy