“In addition to this, we keep in close touch with advisers, taking verbal feedback to ensure we are meeting needs and seeing where we can improve. In the last year, it’s been good to hear a number of responses saying our service is reassuringly consistent from start to finish – from our processing teams through to our underwriters.
“We won’t be sitting back though, and going into 2015 we will continue to invest in our proposition and ensure we remain close to intermediaries.”
Just Retirement: A profit centre for advisers managing lifetime mortgages
Lifetime mortgages are becoming a useful tool for advisers working with pensioners, and service remains as important as ever to Just Retirement.
Stephen Lowe, group external affairs and customer insight director at Just Retirement, said: “After last year’s launch of our individually underwritten lifetime mortgage to our stable of products, the focus has been on continuous improvement of what we do, with the goal of making the life of advisers simpler and easier, freeing them to focus on meeting the needs of their clients.”
Just Retirement believes getting out and about to advisers through workshops and seminars is as important as introducing new technology.
Mr Lowe said: “Through workshops, seminars and webinars we are interacting directly, providing our thoughts and ideas about how advisers can use the growth of the lifetime mortgage market to develop new profit centres of their own.”
Just Retirement has also updated its application form and intermediary toolkit to use with clients, and is also reworking all its customer and adviser-facing materials.
Mr Lowe said: “Those changes are the tip of the iceberg. Above all, our team has become even more focused on the needs of advisers and delivering the benefits of a personalised service. Every year the competition gets tougher, but we fully recognise that the primary differentiator between companies these days more often comes down to service rather than product or price.”
The Mortgage Works: We support landlords and advisers in the BTL market
The Mortgage Works has pursued a number of initiatives aimed at supporting intermediaries and landlords, helping to both stabilise and professionalise the buy-to-let market, as well as adding value, according to its managing director.
Henry Jordan said TMW, part of the Nationwide group, had put itself at the forefront of moves to offer a diverse range of options to its customers.
“This year TMW removed upper age limits at term maturity on its buy-to-let mortgages, instead introducing a maximum age at application of 70,” he said.
“This more progressive approach acknowledges that many people wish to use buy-to-let as a source of income throughout their retirement. In addition, TMW revamped its let-to-buy range with the same rates and fees as the standard BTL range, and offered free rent cover insurance and a free gas safety check.”
