About us

Founded in 1998 with just six people, we were originally known as Home Income Gold and mainly offered home income plans. That was until 2001 when we started to focus on all equity release advice services. 
 
It was at this point we also renamed as Key Retirement Solutions. A few years later in 2004, our directors bought Key from our previous owners, Countrywide.  
 
In May 2007, after bringing in a number of new faces to our family, we launched our estate planning service to help customers focus on more than just their retirement finances, writing Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney. 

Our services didn’t stop there either, and in June 2010 we launched our annuities service to help customers select the right retirement income product for them. Just over two years later, we continued our expansion in the annuity market by buying another business called Annuity People. 
 
In June 2013, Phoenix Equity Partners bought a majority stake in our parent company, Key Group. As the business continued to grow, we moved into a new head office at Baines House in Preston. 
 
A new name and image weren’t too far away either, which came in October 2014 when we rebranded to the name of Key Retirement, reflecting the expansion of our range of services. 
 
In August 2017, Phoenix Equity Partners sold their stake to the global private markets investment manager, Partners Group creating a real feeling of a changing of the guard.
 
In 2018, we celebrated our 20th anniversary and rebranded to Key; which is part of Key Group. The original six people has now grown to over 500, and that’s not the only thing that’s multiplied. 
 
Over the years, Key has picked up more than 60 awards and has helped more than 1 million people decide if equity release is right for them. 
 
We’re very proud of our achievements so far, and we’re committed to helping more people enjoy a better retirement. 

Every year, we come together to support a number of different charities with fundraising events and volunteer work.
 
Throughout 2018, we supported Brian House Children’s Hospice raising an incredible £30,000. Brian House, based in Blackpool, is a specialist unit within Trinity Hospice specialising in palliative care for children. As one of only a handful of local children’s hospices in the UK, it currently supports over 80 families. 

For 2019, our chosen charities are the Boathouse Youth in Blackpool and Barnardo’s, both incredibly important children’s charities for the local area. This year, as well as donating funds raised through various charity events, we’ll also be donating our time for various projects with the charity. It’s an amazing opportunity for us to give something back to our local community.