Mortgage advice for the elderly is frequently not suited to their needs, it has been determined.

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) claims that in many cases, the elderly are sold mortgages with disregard to how they will meet their repayments.

Investigations conducted under the FSA's Mortgages into Retirement campaign found that one in four lenders do not meet the required standards for advising older customers.

"More than a quarter of 22 lenders failed to comply completely with responsible lending requirements," the FSA states.

"Several indicated that they were unclear what was required of them," the authority adds, urging firms to "consider whether their policies comply and if not make appropriate changes".

The FSA advises that its rules for responsible lending require that all customers - including the elderly - are assessed on the likelihood that they will meet repayments for the full duration of the mortgage before any such loan is approved.