Needham Market has become the first town in East Anglia to have a shop dedicated to equity release.

Premier Equity Release, which opened at 119 High Street, assists people aged 55 and above who are looking to access the wealth tied up in their home and put it to positive use, without having to sell or move out of their property.

Premier Equity Release is headed by Tracey Lucas who started her career as an independent financial adviser in 1994. As an equity release specialist, and having mostly worked with mature clients throughout her career, she saw the need for an honest, professional equity release company that puts customer service first.

Research from Premier Equity Release has revealed that 20% of its customers use equity release to repay unsecured debt, while 17% use it to fund home improvements. A further 16% have released equity in their home to pay off an interest-only mortgage, with other customers putting it towards holidays (7%), helping their family (7%), moving to a more expensive house (7%) and paying for care costs or private medical treatment (4%).