"This is a landmark, first-of-its-kind partnership for Air, bringing together our full suite of training, accreditation and business support into a single, joined-up programme"
- Will Hale - Air
Later-life lending platform, Air, has launched an exclusive education programme with Simplybiz Mortgages, delivering its full suite of later-life lending training to the mortgage club's directly authorised advisers for the first time as a single, joined-up offering.
The programme gives advisers access to three areas of support. Qualification backing comes through Air's Academy, which features the Adviser Accreditation for Later Life Lending, an LIBF-accredited programme worth 24 hours of structured CPD covering products, customer needs, vulnerability, affordability and broader financial planning considerations.
Alongside this, the Air Academy One Day Accelerator Programme provides six hours of CPD focused on applying later-life lending knowledge in real-world advice scenarios. A dedicated lead-generation workshop rounds out the offering, helping advisers identify opportunities, build referral relationships, and develop their commercial presence in the sector.
The partnership launches as the Financial Conduct Authority examines whether barriers in the advice process are limiting consumer access to later life lending products such as lifetime mortgages and retirement interest-only mortgages. Air and Simplybiz say the programme is designed to give advisers the skills, confidence and practical tools needed to ensure all suitable later life options are properly considered.
Will Hale, chief executive officer at Air (pictured), said: "This is a landmark, first-of-its-kind partnership for Air, bringing together our full suite of training, accreditation and business support into a single, joined-up programme.
"We're delighted that our partner is Simplybiz Mortgages, which recognises both the scale of the opportunity in later life lending and the importance of acting now, particularly as the FCA examines whether the market is doing enough to support customers and remove barriers to access.
"Too often, later life lending options are overlooked in favour of more mainstream, but arguably less suitable, solutions. This partnership is about changing that, giving advisers the structure, skills and confidence to raise these conversations earlier and more effectively."
Martin Reynolds, chief executive officer at Simplybiz Mortgages, added that the FCA's scrutiny of the sector makes the timing of the launch particularly relevant. "Later life lending is becoming an increasingly important part of the advice landscape, yet it remains underutilised, often because advisers lack the confidence, structure or support to fully engage across all the product sectors within it.
"With the FCA market study placing a clear spotlight on the sector, now is the time for firms to ensure they are equipped to deliver the full range of later life lending options to their customers.
"This partnership with Air reflects our commitment to getting ahead of that shift. By giving our members access to a structured, end-to-end programme, we're enabling them to deliver better outcomes for customers whilst creating new commercial opportunities.
Reynolds concluded, "Ultimately, this is about helping advisers turn a perceived complex and often overlooked area of the market into a core part of their proposition."
