Certificate in Regulated Equity Release (CeRER)

Have you considered providing equity release advice to your customers?

The market for later life lending, including equity release schemes is growing – and that’s especially true during turbulent and economically challenging times. Many more customers look to how they can access additional funds to help them through.

Key information

CeRER is the essential qualification for mortgage advisers looking to specialise in equity release
You will have up to 12 months to complete from registration
Two units in total, each with one assessment

Fees
£265 for the full qualification
Units
Two units in total
Duration
Six months – but you have up to 12 months from registration to complete
Regulation
Registered with Ofqual in the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)

What your studies will cover

The impact of equity release schemes on customers’ future options
The FCA regulatory explanation of a lifetime mortgage and a home reversion plan
How to match different types of equity release schemes to your customers’ needs
The suitability and affordability of the different types of equity release schemes
The relative advantages and disadvantages of the different types of equity release arrangements and alternatives
How to assess the risks to customers who take out equity release schemes and when these might arise
The rules relating to state benefits as well as taxation

About the qualification

By releasing equity in their homes, you can help your customers with goals such as:

supporting family members
paying off mortgages or debts
making home improvements
paying for ‘once in a lifetime’ holidays, or
paying for long-term care.

Any adviser who wants to consider and advise on all the options available, needs to fully understand those options – including the potential risks as well as benefits.

You’ll develop specialist knowledge to understand different customer needs. You’ll be able to advise on the different types of equity release products and the risks and benefits associated with taking out a scheme.

If you currently hold CeMAP or an equivalent Level 3 mortgage qualification, being qualified to advise on equity release will add to your skill set – and it's only two units to complete to get qualified.

During your studies, you’ll become a Member of LIBF (MLIBF), receiving benefits including careers support and access to professional networking events.

Unit information

If you have already completed CeMAP or an equivalent Level 3 mortgage qualification you just need to complete two units to achieve CeRER.

If you have not completed CeMAP or an equivalent qualification, view our CeMAP qualification page.

This qualification can be studied on its own, but you must hold CeMAP or an equivalent Level 3 mortgage advice qualification to advise on equity release.

Are you eligible for an exemption?

If you have qualifications from us or another awarding body, we may be eligible to apply for recognition of prior learning.

Fundamentals of Equity Release

Understand the equity release market and the regulations associated with the different types of schemes available. With this knowledge you'll be able to understand your different customers and match the right scheme to their personal requirements and look at their future options as well.
Equity Release Solutions

You'll able to apply suitable equity release solutions for the different circumstances of your customers. You will gain an understanding of different equity release products, their features and how suitable they are for your customers. This will allow you to provide a holistic assessment of your customers equity release needs.

Studying

What study materials do I get?

Included in your fee, you’ll get the following study materials:

an online study text with interactive activities
new digital learning resources such as videos, quizzes and animations
exclusive video interview discussing the role of the Equity Release Council
online access to our virtual library KnowledgeBank
online access to our student portal MyLIBF
weekly study planner
syllabus updates
tax table

Additional study materials

If you’d like additional study support, you can buy digital specimen exam papers which reflect the live assessment. You can purchase these when you apply or later through your MyLIBF account.

£25 per online specimen exam unit
£40 for all units as a bundle

If your learning style is audio-visual, you may prefer to get extra support with our CeRER Revision Videos. Guided by Jon Dunckley, our CeRER trainer, each short video will help you prepare for your exam.

The series costs just £105, with each video focusing on different aspects of the course using examples and visual aids to help reinforce your learning.

You can watch the videos on any device, from anywhere in the world – as long as you have internet access – giving you the flexibility to study when and where it suits you. You can watch them as many times as you want or need to and will have access to them for 12 months.

You can purchase CeRER revision videos when you register for CeRER or later through your MyLIBF account.

If you wish to buy a corporate license for our additional study material email corporate@libf.ac.uk and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss further.

Assessments

You are assessed at the end of each unit:

Unit 1 – 50 questions multiple choice exam
Unit 2 – three case studies each with 10 linked multiple-choice questions

You can take your exam any time through our Brightspace platform with remote invigilation. There's no need to book in advance. Before you start, you'll need to do a quick 360-degree scan of your surroundings using your laptop or webcam.

You will have 12 months from when you register, to complete each unit and sit the exam. Your first exam is included in the registration fee for each unit.

Exam and assessment information

Corporate bookings

If you are a company and want to register a cohort of students onto CeRER please email corporate@libf.ac.uk for further information.

Questions about our professional qualifications?

If you have any questions about our professional qualifications in finance and banking, please contact our customer services team.

Our professional qualification customer services office is open:
Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm UK time.

Student adviser ready to help you through any queries

Accredited learning support providers

There are a number of organisations offering courses for our qualifications, especially in financial and mortgage advice. We have recognised a select number of course providers offering CeRER learning support.

Using a learning support provider is entirely up to you – it is NOT a requirement of your studies – but this extra support might help your learning. These organisations have joined our ALSP scheme and to keep this status their provision is subjected to regular quality checks by us.

Please note that you will still need to register and complete CeRER via us as we are the qualification awarding body.

Find out more

An ALSP is a training organisation that has joined our ALSP scheme and has been formally recognised by us as delivering appropriate additional learning and training support.

To gain our recognition, an ALSP’s course is assessed rigorously and must continue to meet certain quality standards relating to:
- accuracy of course information
- comparability to LIBF’s programme of study
- accuracy of course content
- quality of delivery, both online and in a classroom
- trainer/author credentials
- course management policies and procedures
- satisfactory annual reporting of their training activities and course management
While all ALSPs’ courses undergo regular monitoring, they might not be suitable for all students and we offer no guarantee of success in the exam to users of them. If you are considering using third party services, it’s very important that you assess their offering against your needs and choose your provider with great care – please see the FAQ on what you should look for when choosing a learning support provider. A list of our current CeRER ALSPs is here.
Using a third party learning provider is entirely your choice: it is NOT a requirement of your CeRER studies. However, once you have commenced your studies, if you feel you would like or need supplementary support in addition to the resources available from us, paying for an additional course might benefit you. For example, an extra online course from a training provider might be structured in a way that suits your learning style.

Many training organisations also offer face-to-face workshops. The benefits of these include you being able to meet and learn with fellow students and a qualified trainer, discuss issues relating to your individual needs, undertake varied activities, practice exam questions and better understand your progress and learning gaps - all away from the distractions of a work/home environment.
There are dozens of learning support providers offering training courses. Please be aware that while websites appear to be professional-looking, not all are bona fide organisations: for example, a ruling by the Advertising Standards Agency in 2018.

So, if you are considering using a learning support provider that is not an ALSP, we strongly recommend you read its website thoroughly and look at whether:
- it can be contacted by phone or e-mail (beware of those only offering a call-back service)
- an address is given – check on the Companies House website that the company and its address are genuine. Do an online search on the address: does the company operate from professional-looking premises?
- training course fees are clearly stated
- it states you will also need to register with us and pay the appropriate fee
- syllabus information and course content appears accurate, complete and up to date
- there are any testimonials (but bear in mind they might not be genuine)
- there are clearly stated terms and conditions. Make sure you read them carefully.
- the organisation claims to be recognised or accredited by us and/or uses our logo(s). Please note that only ALSPs are authorised to state they are accredited by us and display the official ALSP logo. The names and contact details of our ALSPs who offer support for CeRER Transfers are published on our website here.
You are strongly advised not to simply register and/or pay for a course online. Your first step should be to phone the organisation to discuss the course and your needs. If they cannot describe the course in detail, or if there is no answer and they do not reply to voicemails or e-mails, you should be very cautious.
We are aware of a number of revision courses and learning materials being offered for sale online. If these are not being offered by one of our Accredited Learning Support Providers, you should be very wary of buying these items, even if they appear to be good value. The provider and the materials have not been reviewed by us and therefore their quality and relevance to your studies is unknown. Note that these materials might be incomplete, inaccurate or out of date and could be misleading to you.
If you have any concerns, please e-mail customerservices@libf.ac.uk.

Certificate in Regulated Equity Release (CeRER)