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Mike Lewis, business development manager for Warwickshire-based Equity Release Solutions, said Prudential supplied an excellent all round lifetime mortgage service.

Mr Lewis said: "With a large back office team offering telephone support throughout the sales process it is always easy to make contact, which is of paramount importance.

"With the option to prepare key facts illustrations online and to take the application through either online or paper Prudential allows our advisers to submit business how they wish.

"Initial case assessment is invariably a same day service and case feedback is provided by the support staff or can also be accessed online at any time as the cases progress.

"Prudential offers additional support to the business wherever possible, for example marketing support, and support the equity release market as a result."

Lender says...

Keith Haggart, director of lifetime mortgages for Prudential said: "We are delighted to receive a good score on our servicing. We place a large amount of importance on servicing for both advisers and consumers. Since launching our innovative lifetime mortgage in 2005, we have continued to work with all interested groups to develop and deliver a first class service. It is important not to get complacent and we continue to constantly seek feedback from advisers in terms of the service we deliver."

FACT

Prudential was established in 1848.

Chelsea Building Society

Jane Blezard, a mortgage adviser for Lancashire-based IFA James Trickett & Son, said the service provided by Chelsea Building Society was "really quite good" and she found the provider to be more "flexible on their lending approach" than other lenders at the moment.

Ms Blezard said: "Chelsea was quite good actually. I used the online system, which was very easy to use. The requirements were instantaneous and we got a letter through almost immediately confirming the product and everything.

"During the process, we never had to speak to them once which was quite refreshing. We had a problem with the survey but it was not down to Chelsea, it was down to the people who valued it as there was a typographical error in their report.

"It was nothing to do with Chelsea but it was rectified quickly. The lender got in touch with the valuers, got a new report printed up and we got a revised survey.

"Chelsea is a bit more flexible on its lending approach whereas other lenders would just say no."

Lender says...

Tom Gurrie, divisional director of intermediary sales for Chelsea Building Society, said: "It is really pleasing to read the feedback and we appreciate the comments that have been made. Our approach to underwriting is a successful one. We are not driven by systems but instead prefer an individual review with flexibility where possible. Our challenge this year has been trying to balance the fact that we were receiving huge amounts of business against the fact we would not be able to administer them to our usual high standards. But we are confident that Chelsea's intermediary market will continue to go from strength and strength."

FACT

Chelsea has assets in excess of £13bn, making it the country's fifth largest building society.

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