Ask the Experts: My job fell through and I've got no income I do not know where to turn and at 55 years of age find myself in the position of wondering what to do. I am being offered some incredibly expensive products, with horrible penalties. Some advice would be very gratefully received. RK, Cornwall A. Justin Harris, managing director of Chase Belgrave, (chasebelgrave.com) an independent financial advisory company Equity release on your property is certainly a possibility and shouldn't attract an overly onerous interest rate if the loan to v alue ratio stays low. Your credit rating shouldn't matter too much - approach a good mortgage broker for this. It's important to see your situation as a business. Income is cashflow and that's the lifeblood of any business. Yours has stopped and your priority is to get it started again immediately. Get the house valued now as it stands and then an estimate of what it could be worth once complete - use three different agents and take the lowest figure. Do run the numbers and continue to run them - will you be able to pay back the loan you take on your property and in good time? Will you be able to generate enough income to live? If you plan to sell the property, how quickly do properties sell in the area? What will your return be after tax? Will you have enough left over to cover purchasing costs of your next property? Start making a new plan now, and with contingencies so you're never left without an income flow again.