BY Busola Aro
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) says it has approved guidelines for workers to get a residential mortgage using their retirement savings account (RSA).
A mortgage is a type of loan used to purchase or maintain a home, land, or other types of real estate.
The commission said this in a statement issued on Friday.
It said retirement savings account (RSA) holders can access RSA balance towards payment of equity contribution for a residential mortgage.
The commission said the approval of the guidelines is in line with section 89 (2) of the Pension Reform Act 2014 (PRA 2014), adding that this allows RSA holders to use a portion of their RSA balance towards the payment of equity for a residential mortgage.
PenCom further said interested RSA holders should contact their pension fund administrators (PFAs) to provide more information and guidance.
“For eligibility, the guidelines cover pension contributors in active employment, either as a salaried employee or as a self-employed person. Interested RSA holders (applicants) must meet the following conditions: Have an offer letter for the property duly signed by the property owner and verified by the Mortgage Lender,” the statement reads.
“The RSA of the applicant shall have both employer and employee’s mandatory contributions for a cumulative minimum period of 60 months (five years).
“A contributor under the Micro Pension Plan (MPP) is also eligible, provided he/she has made contributions for at least 60 months (five years) prior to the date of his/her application. RSA holders that have less than three years to retirement are not eligible.
“Married couples, who are RSA holders, are eligible to make a joint application, subject to individually satisfying the eligibility requirements. RSA holders, if registered before 1 July 2019, must have their records updated through the RSA data recapture exercise.
“Application for equity contribution for residential mortgage shall be in person and not by proxy. Maximum Withdrawal Percentage: The maximum amount to be withdrawn shall be 25 percent of the total mandatory RSA balance as of the date of application, irrespective of the value of equity contribution required by the mortgage lender.
“Where 25 percent of a contributor’s RSA balance is not sufficient for payment as equity contribution, RSA holders may utilise the contingency portion of their voluntary contributions (if any).
“Eligibility criteria for mortgage lender: To qualify as a Mortgage Lender for this purpose, the company must be licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), comply with the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and have a valid Pension Clearance Certificate (PCC).”
The commission added that the names of eligible mortgage lenders would be published on its website.
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