The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will join advisers, lenders and industry leaders in Bristol next month, as the later life lending sector comes together to respond to the regulator’s newly launched Later Life Mortgages Market Study.
Thomas Francis, manager of the FCA’s mortgage policy team and leading its Mortgage Rule Review, will participate in a dedicated regulatory session at the Equity Release Council’s Later Life Lending Summit on 22 April, providing a timely opportunity for direct engagement between the regulator and the adviser community.
The event, delivered in collaboration with the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI), is focused on building competence, confidence and care across the market, as later life lending continues to evolve and play a more prominent role in retirement planning.
It is designed to support both advisers already active in the sector, as well as those looking to build their understanding and explore how later life lending could form part of their future advice proposition.
The FCA’s recently published Terms of Reference for the Market Study, set out a forward-looking review of how the market is working for consumers, with a particular focus on: consumer understanding; advice quality; product suitability and fair value; and barriers to access and innovation.
The study, which will run throughout 2026, signals a commitment to the development of a safe and consumer focused later life market and a clear expectation that standards must continue to rise as borrowing increasingly extends into retirement.
Against this backdrop, the Bristol event has been designed to help advisers and firms stay ahead of the conversation, not simply respond to it.
Through a combination of economic insight, product innovation discussions and customer-focused sessions under the Council’s Safe Steps framework, the programme will explore how the industry can deliver good outcomes in practice, particularly for customers with more complex needs and those in vulnerable circumstances.
A central theme running throughout the day will be the need for a more holistic approach to customers’ finances, as property wealth, pensions and other assets become increasingly interconnected.
Jim Boyd, CEO of the Equity Release Council, said: “The FCA’s market study is a significant and welcome moment for our sector. It reflects the growing importance of later life lending within the wider retirement landscape but also challenges us to continue raising standards.
“Our Bristol summit provides a timely and important opportunity for open and constructive dialogue with industry leaders, advisers and our regulator on how we deliver better consumer understanding, stronger advice and consistently good outcomes to support a growing later life market.”
The summit will also place a strong emphasis on customer care, with immersive sessions designed to bring real customer experiences to life and help firms identify and address potential areas of harm across the advice journey.
Stephanie Charman, chief executive of AMI, said: “Engaging directly with the FCA at this stage offers an invaluable opportunity to shape industry practice and raise standards across the market. As advisers guide customers through increasingly complex later life financial decisions, their role has never been more critical. Through this collaboration, we aim to provide practical tools, insight and confidence to ensure advisers can deliver consistently high-quality outcomes.”
The Bristol event forms part of the Equity Release Council and AMI’s wider collaboration to bring the market together at a pivotal moment, supporting the transition from niche to mainstream. By moving the conversation from theory to action, the event aims to ensure that growth is underpinned by strong consumer outcomes, professional standards and regulatory confidence.
