Canada Life Home Finance has published details of its first series of workshops in 2020, aimed at advisers who are looking to become equity-release qualified.
Its Equity Release Exam workshops will run nationwide in February and March. The workshops, which are free of charge, were attended by over 200 advisers in 2019 and are designed to help even more advisers tap into the growing demand for equity release products.
The workshops are provided in collaboration with training and consulting firm Fortica Ltd, and give advisers currently not qualified to offer equity release the training needed to pass the required exam.
This year’s workshops and course materials have been updated to ensure they reflect the improvements made to aspects of LIBF’s syllabus, at the end of 2019. These improvements include changes to the text around powers of attorney and complaint handling and increasing the number of topics from three to six.
According to recent research, 71% of equity release-qualified advisers expect market growth over the next year, with 51% of advisers predicting that by the end of 2020 the market will be valued between £5-6 billion. At the end of Q3 2019, £2.8 billion of funding had been provided to homeowners aged 55 and over, using equity release.
Alice Watson, head of marketing, Insurance, Canada Life, said: “As people continue to look for ways to improve their retirement income, we have a key role to play in ensuring there are qualified advisers available to meet growing client demand. To support advisers who want to become equity release-qualified, and the sector overall, Canada Life is organising another series of exam workshops for 2020.
“These workshops have proved incredibly popular in the past, with more than 500 advisers attending over the last two years. They form part of a series of events from Canada Life, designed to help boost the capabilities of advisers, who are either looking to become qualified or to become more confident in using their qualification.
“Through providing the workshops, we hope that more people will be able to access the independent advice needed to take out products which meet their needs and circumstances.”
Advisers can book their place at the workshops with Canada Life at www.canadalife.co.uk/adviser/cl-events
