Taylor Scott International News

Half of people aged over 40 believe they will still be repaying their mortgage or paying rent when they retire, new research has found. The figures from a study by specialist insurer Partnership shows that while people aspire to owning their own home, a significant amount will still be making mortgage repayments when they retire. Some 31% think they will still have a mortgage and 20% will be paying rent when they retire. In addition, with 35% of households in England living in social or private rental accommodation, a number of retirees will need to meet these costs in later life. As people age and either purchase property or repay their mortgage this changes the number who expect to be meeting these costs in retirement but 18% of 66 to 70 year olds still expect to need to make rental payments and 15% expect to be repaying their mortgage. A breakdown of the figures show that of those aged 40 to 50 42% expect to still be paying rent and 26% a mortgage. In the 51 to 55 age group 37% expect to be paying rent and 18% a mortgage while in the 56 to 60 aged group some 22% expect to pay rent and 15% a mortgage. In the 61 to 65 age group 21% say they are still paying rent and 16% a mortgage while in the 66 to 70 age group it is 18% and 15% respectively. In addition to meeting housing costs, these retirees are also likely to be put under financial pressure as they look to meet costs such as council tax, utilities and upkeep of their property. ‘Most people aim to own their own home by the time they retire but the trend towards remortgaging, purchasing later in life and being kept off the housing ladder by high house prices means that this is out of reach for almost a third of people,’ said Mark Stopard, head of product development at Partnership. ‘This may see some people taking advantage of the opportunity to work longer but for some people, especially those with health issues, this is simply not an option. While those in private or social rental accommodation need to focus on securing sufficient income to meet these costs, those who are still repaying their mortgage have more options,’ he explained. ‘Either they can use part or all of their pension to repay the borrowing, although this is likely to significantly impact on their later life income, or they can use equity release which can mean they will leave less to their families but face less financial pressure,’ he added. ‘When people consider their retirement, it is vital that they look to reduce their mortgage borrowing as much as possible. No one wants to worry about cutting back on essentials such as food and heating to meet housing costs when they should be enjoying retirement,’ he concluded. Continue reading →

The post Half of over 40s think they will still have a mortgage or rent during retirement appeared first on Taylor Scott International.

Taylor Scott International

Taylor Scott International, Taylor Scott