5 March 2007

Untied Co-op to market equity release through Retirement Plus and NHFA

The United Co-Operatives and its new affinity partner, Retirement
Plus are to promote equity release plans through more than 900 outlets
in the North of England, in the first equity release joint venture
involving a major retailer.

Retirement Plus will promote equity release through United's food
stores, pharmacies, travel agencies, car sales and funeral outlets,
under an agreement reached with United Co-operatives and NHFA, a whole
of market adviser.

The equity release promotion will feature in-store advertising, as
well as leaflet drops around the stores. United's stores have a
footfall of 7.9 million people per week and it reaches 1.9 million
people with each of its frequent leaflet drops.

United Co-operatives, which already has financial services affinity
partners offering savings and investments as well as insurance, has
moved into equity release in recognition of the UK's growing problems
with retirement funding. While the pensions gap is estimated at
anything upwards of £26 billion, it remains true that people over 65 in
the UK have more money invested in property than they have in pensions.

Duncan Young, Managing Director of Retirement Plus said: "We are very
much looking forward to working with United Co-operatives on this
programme. We believe that in the retail environment our commitment to
information and education before advice is the way forward."