Air has signed an exclusive deal with Simplybiz Mortgages to deliver extensive later life lending training and development to its members.

The agreement will see the later life lending platform provide the mortgage club’s directly authorised advisers with its full suite of later life lending training, marking the first time it has delivered the programme as a single, joined-up offering with an external partner.

The partnership has been launched as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is examining whether barriers in the advice process are limiting consumer access to later life lending solutions, such as lifetime mortgages and retirement interest-only products.

Against this backdrop, the programme is designed to equip advisers with the skills, confidence and practical tools needed to broaden customer conversations and ensure all suitable later life lending options are fully considered.

The initiative is built around three pillars. These include qualification support, which gives advisers access to Air’s Academy; the Air Academy One Day Accelerator programme, which is a LIBF-accredited programme that provides six hours of CPD and focuses on applying knowledge to real-world advice scenarios; and a lead generation workshop, which is a dedicated webinar designed to help advisers identify opportunity, build referral relationships and achieve commercial success in later life lending.

Air and Simplybiz will also provide ongoing support to firms and advisers as they embed later life lending into their advice processes.

Chief executive officer (CEO) at Air, Will Hale, described the deal as a "landmark, first-of-its-kind partnership" for the later life lending firm.

He added: "We’re delighted that 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."

CEO at Simplybiz Mortgages, Martin Reynolds, concluded: "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 products 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. Ultimately, this is about helping advisers turn a perceived complex and often overlooked area of the market into a core part of their proposition."

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