The Later Life Lending Summit 2025 highlighted a shared commitment to do better through collaboration, integration, and standards. Collaboration was more than a talking point; it was a recurring call to action across multiple panels and discussions.
Nick Green, Proposition and Strategy Director, attended on behalf of Criterion and brought back a clear message: the industry understands that improving outcomes for later life customers requires joined-up thinking, shared infrastructure, and real commitment to interoperability.
Advisers want integration – not more complexity
On Warren Bleechmore’s technology panel, one of the standout contributions came from David Forsdyke, who made the case on behalf of advisers for a fully integrated approach to product sourcing and research. The ask is straightforward but far-reaching: up-to-date, accurate information delivered within a single, seamless environment.
While the scale of the challenge was acknowledged by the panel, the response was constructive. Panellists pointed to collaboration and open technical standards as essential to bridging the gaps between systems and delivering on adviser expectations. We were particularly pleased to hear Iress’s Robert Bowes reference our standards as part of the enabling infrastructure already in place to support this kind of integration.
Supporting vulnerable customers requires shared responsibility
The summit conversation moved from systems to people, where Carol Nuttall made a strong case for better communication and coordination across the value chain to more effectively support vulnerable customers, a view echoed by others throughout the day.
This was reinforced in a panel discussion led by Jim Boyd, where representatives from key industry associations signalled their intent to collaborate more closely across later life lending, pensions, and retirement – a welcome step. These financial decisions don’t exist in silos, and neither should the solutions or solution providers.
A single journey, not separate products
Earlier this year, the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi described mortgages, pensions, and savings as “junctions on the same financial journey.” It’s a framing that resonates, and one that was reflected throughout the summit.
Customers don’t distinguish between product types when considering their financial futures; they simply want the right solutions at the right time, without unnecessary friction. Delivering that experience requires industry-wide coordination and systems designed to connect.
Collaboration and standards
We believe that industry-supported integration standards are a fundamental part of the solution. They allow systems to integrate more easily, reduce duplication, and support innovation by providing a shared framework for how data and processes connect.
Our Equity Release API Standards (Apply, and Quotes and KFI) enable organisations and individuals to submit applications and retrieve quotes more efficiently. By standardising these processes, we support greater automation and deliver a more seamless experience across the equity release journey.
Robert Bowes, IRESS:
For financial advisers and their customers, transparent, accurate, and comparable product information is paramount. Criterion’s well-defined, industry-wide standards ensure that real-time data from all lenders is consistent and equitable across the board, enabling easy comparison of options via independent platforms like The Exchange by Iress. By regularly updating these standards to reflect market innovation, Criterion helps the entire industry deliver better outcomes for advisers and their clients.
Nick Green, commenting:
We remain committed to working with technology providers, financial institutions, and industry bodies to ensure the underlying infrastructure supports the joined-up outcomes customers need. The messages from this event were clear. Now comes the work of turning those shared intentions into real, lasting progress.
