The forgotten seeds begin to sprout

WANTED - dead or alive.... Sometimes we do something then over the years forget about it, only for it to reappear. And when it does it’s like a phoenix rising from the ashes, as it rears its long forgotten head.In this case it was the posting of my CV years ago on some agency web site. At the time I was unhappy with my lot and looking for pastures new, under the illusion that there must be greener grass somewhere.

It was summer 2009 and I'd made the decision to call it a day with my IFA practice. As good as Positive Solutions was, it was becoming an expense that wasn't cost efficient. Furthermore my business profile made pure mortgage broking a more viable option than being an IFA.

The four areas of advice, pensions, investments and savings, mortgages, and protection, had in my case been 1 per cent pensions, 10 per cent investments and savings, 20 per cent protection, and 69 per cent mortgages. Of the mortgages, about 15 per cent were residential, 10 per cent bridging, 5 per cent development finance, and the balance was probably equally shared between BTL's and commercial - so why was I putting myself through the six-monthly ridiculous regime that saw me sat under the scrutiny of CCTV, presenting business to colleagues because some fool at the FSA thinks that we advisers only remember how to present business for 6 months then need a reminder, what utter garbage! Then there's the annual exams on all subjects, with a good amount of questions about taxation, DSS benefits etc - sorry Mr Regulator but not for me.     So I split my business in half and joined Citri for my regulated, while maintaining my commercial brokerage. If there was any change in the pipeline then it would likely see me pack the regulated in. I'm not anti-regulation, and I'm all for training and professionalism, but about half a dozen regulated mortgages in almost 18 months is telling me that once again the costly part of my business isn't paying for itself.       Apart from the fact that there's the compliance burden, the silly rules imposed, the ridiculous amount of paperwork (you must hand this out, and that out), do they think all our clients are daft, all 'lowlifes' that don’t understand a well presented bit of mortgage advice? The FSA, and the watch-dogs, and the media who comment on these things are so far up their own ‘Harris’ that they can't see what's going on in the real world.   And just when you think the seed is dead...   So back to my opening paragraph, Last week I received an email on my seldom glanced at Hotmail account - some recruitment bod at some brilliant firm has seen my CV! (It seems so long since I wrote it that I probably had hair at the time, I certainly can't remember what it contains.) Anyway, these guys reckon that by servicing their mortgage leads I could earn more than a crust, ...mmhhh!! I've heard that before, aren't all these companies, and networks about the same, much of a muchness? Or is this the green green grass that is beckoning?! Strangely enough, this has come at a time when it's the side of my business that is currently most costly and one I'd gladly let go, so perhaps food for thought, we'll see. I have highlighted this year as the year to clear out the clutter, and only do what earns me money, and to remove what's inefficient - so perhaps they've read my tea leaves.