- The new SOLLA Retirement Advice Standard is now being offered to all regulated advisers – from November 16th 2015
- This is the first of a series of SOLLA Standards specific to the general Later Life market
- A specialist Equity Release Standard is planned for 2016
- A Care Standard is in the process of being offered to the specialist care market, and a housing and accommodation standard is also planned for 2016
SOLLA Enterprises is delighted to announce the extension of their “Retirement Advice Standard” to all regulated advisers operating in the pension’s advice sector. This follows the recent successful launch to SOLLA full members.
This new Retirement Advice Standard is an important addition to the SOLLA Brand which is increasingly becoming recognised as providing consumer confidence to those seeking to make financial decisions across the whole range of later life matters. The introduction of this new standard is recognition of the need for additional consumer confidence when making pension and retirement choices.
With Retirement Advice being such a controversial subject in the light of the recent pension changes SOLLA Enterprises Co-Chairman and SOLLA founder, Tish Hanifan, said “There is currently no independent consumer facing body working to establish industry standards in this area. With this in mind we believe that this is the right time to extend the current reach of the SOLLA brand to support this sector of the market. After an initial and successful launch to SOLLA Full Members we are now offering this important new initiative to all advisers working in this key sector”.
The SOLLA Enterprises initiative is actively supported by both Octopus Investments and Partnership. Andrew Megson, Managing Director of Retirement at Partnership, said “The introduction of SOLLA Standards in specific later life advice areas is an exciting development! Not only will it help to build consumer confidence in this area of financial advice but it will clearly highlight that consumer outcomes are at the heart of what the industry is looking to achieve. Partnership is pleased to support initiatives such as these that seek to help advisers better service their clients.”
Interested advisers are invited to seek further information and application details by visiting www.retirementadvicestandard.co.uk
Paul Latham, Managing Director of Octopus Investments, added: “This is a very important initiative that impacts across the entire Later Life sector. Consumers can already access an increasing number of SOLLA Full Members. The addition of specialist standards will add to this choice, and the Retirement Advice Standard will in the near future be complemented by specialist standards covering Care, Equity Release and Housing and Accommodation. Consumers will be increasingly be able to identify and access a growing group of specialists who – in their chosen field – have demonstrated expertise and understanding of the needs in the Later Life market”.
SOLLA Enterprises will make further announcements on the evolving Standards regime in the coming months.