ERC standards checker

The Equity Release Council standards are the consumer protections that separate a safe modern plan from a risky one. Tick off each protection against a plan you are considering, or ask the adviser these questions directly. The tool tells you whether the plan meets the standards and what any gap means. This is general information, not advice on a specific plan.

It includes a no negative equity guarantee, so you can never owe more than the home sells for It gives you the right to remain in your home for life, or until you move into long term care It lets you move and port the plan to a suitable alternative property It allows penalty free voluntary payments to reduce the interest that rolls up It requires independent legal advice from your own solicitor The interest rate is fixed for life, or variable with a fixed upper cap

What a full set of ticks means

If you can confirm all six, the plan carries the core Equity Release Council protections and behaves the way modern, regulated equity release is meant to. If any are missing or unclear, that is not proof the plan is bad, but it is a reason to ask harder questions and, ideally, to look at a Council approved alternative. You can also confirm Council membership of the adviser and provider on the Council's own website.

Each protection is explained in plain English in the Equity Release Council standards explained, and the warning signs of a plan to avoid are in equity release red flags.