Air Club has made its Air Academy free for all members, removing the cost of adviser education in an effort to improve professional standards and consumer outcomes in the later life lending market.

The academy offers more than 70 learning resources, including masterclasses, podcasts, technical training, webinars and marketing support.

It also includes Air's 10-module, 24-hour continuing professional development (CPD) accreditation programme, which is accredited by the London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF). Advisers completing the programme receive 'Professional Status' and a digital badge at no cost.

The company, a later life lending platform, argued the move would help attract more advisers into the specialist market, improve confidence in discussing later life lending and support more holistic retirement planning.

It followed growing regulatory focus on housing wealth as a key part of retirement planning, with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) looking to designate later life lending as a potential 'fourth pillar' of retirement.

Air said it is hopeful that by making the initiative free, barriers to new entrants to the later life market will further be eroded, helping to achieve the cross-product holistic advice model that modern over-55 borrowers need in order to make informed decisions around how to achieve their financial goals in later life.

Air CEO Will Hale said: "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."

LIBF's John Somerville added: "Making Air Academy free to access is a strong step forward for adviser development and the wider later life lending sector."

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