With housing wealth among retirees and near-retirees still far exceeding superannuation savings, coupled with uncertainties about the future of the age pension there is a growing case for retirees, their advisers, the financial markets and policy makers to look more closely at equity release. Accessing home equity may not be for everyone but for those that have the means and are open to the idea, there needs to be more safe and flexible opportunity for retirees to use it to maintain their financial comfort and wellbeing in later life.
Stuart Thomas, Ashton DeSilva and Sarah King Sinclair
Placemaking Economics Group
School of Economics, Finance and Marketing
RMIT University