The later life lending platform, Air Club, has announced that Air Academy is now free to access for all members.
It hopes the move will remove cost barriers to adviser education and reinforce its commitment to raising standards across the sector.
With more than 70 pieces of learning content, Air Academy said it can give advisers the tools they need to sharpen their knowledge, build confidence and keep pace with an ever-evolving later life lending market.
The Academy includes on-demand masterclasses, podcasts, technical training, marketing support, specialist programmes, live webinars, events and summit content, providing advisers with a range of learning and development resources.
Air said the Academy is underpinned by its partnership with the London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF), which supports its Adviser Accreditation for Later Life Lending.
The LIBF-accredited programme comprises 10 modules and offers 24 hours of structured continuing professional development (CPD).
Covering the later life lending process, product types, vulnerability, affordability and soft skills, Air said the accreditation is designed to help shape a more confident generation of advisers, equipping them to have better client conversations, widen their expertise and keep good outcomes front and centre.
Fourth pillar of retirement
The move comes amid increased focus on the role of later life lending in retirement planning.
The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Emad Aladhal has described the sector as the “fourth pillar” of retirement, while also highlighting the need for further development and greater consideration of later life lending across all advice channels.
Air said making the Academy free is intended to reduce barriers to entry for advisers entering the later life lending market.
It added that this could support more joined-up advice for over-55s considering their financial options in later life.
Speaking of the latest developments, Air chief executive officer Will Hale said: “Later life lending is moving from niche to norm with the FCA recognising that ‘housing wealth’ needs to be the ‘fourth pillar’ of retirement planning.
“However, awareness of later life lending options remains poor among mainstream mortgage advisers and wealth managers/IFAs with distribution silos resulting in the failure for all products being considered for many older customers.
“Confidence to have comprehensive conversations with customers around their housing wealth and how it can support their wants and needs in later life starts with knowledge, and by making the Air Academy free to access we hope that we’re removing one barrier that may stop some advisers engaging properly with this important sector.
“Air is committed to supporting safe growth in the later life lending market and making the Academy free to access is a clear indication of our determination to break down distribution silos and to continue to help advisers raise the bar on customer outcomes.”
