It’s only a day/6 years away…

A Sponsored Post for Tomorrow Finance

It’s funny the way that life doesn’t ever work out quite like you planned it to be isn’t it?

I had no real idea about what I wanted to do after High School, what I wanted to “be” when I grew up so when we had to fill in our forms at School indicating what course I wanted to do I copied my friends form because she was cool and as I said, I had no idea. I forgot about it until January of the following year when we were sent acceptance letters from the Universities when I remembered what course I had copied down – a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communications at UTS. Sounded fancy! And interesting! And definitely cool! It was all the things that I was not at School, so I was thrilled to be with a new crowd of people learning about amazing stuff like colour, and design, and typefaces. I spent 4 years in that course, experimenting with kissing chicks and many boys, drinking Schnooers of  $2 beer like it was no one’s business, smoking like any good design student should and let’s not forget the obligatory eye brow piercing that I got in Budapest one uni break. The end of the course came about and people started to think about “real” stuff like getting jobs. Rent was needed and after many declined interviews for various magazines (I swear to GOD in an alternate universe I should be the Art Director of Country Style or Gourmet Traveller) I had to get some money. Somehow. I got a temp job at the company where my big brother worked  – a big finance and insurance company – and I finally started getting paid. Because I was working so hard there wasn’t time for interviews and before I knew it, 6 months had passed. A new version of every program I used at uni was upgraded and my confidence in what I loved and was passionate was gone. Somehow I now worked in finance. Just like that.

I spent the next part of my professional years in my twenties and up until my mid thirties working in finance. FINANCE. It’s just a little wrong isn’t it? I never planned on it, certainly didn’t spend almost $20,000 on a DESIGN DEGREE to work in finance, but there I was. A good salary that rose each year, company credit cards & phones, travel around the country, and clients (snort). I eventually left the city to start running a small boutique Financial Planning Business in the burbs. I know! Again, how did that happen? I USED TO BE COOL. I did everything in that business from making clients tea and coffee, to putting out the bins, reconciling commissions and running the mortgage broking part of the business. That’s right, I was *whispers* a mortgage broker. If you need to break up with me now, that’s OK. I understand.

Oh the life of a broker! CONTINUALLY on the phone, to the bank, to the client, to the bank, and then back to the client. Chasing up insurances and paperwork OHMYGODTHEPAPERWORK. And on forms. Like on paper. With a pen. It was stressful and awful and a million miles away from the job I should have been doing which I believe included ladies lunches with white wine and free stuff sent to me from design houses. Instead I got to refinance retirees mortgages for negative gearing. Yep. Glamorous.

Finance can be a stressful business. Especially when you don’t know what you are doing. Especially when you are doing it all for the first time. It’s VERY grown up. And it involves men who want to do you a great “deal” which is code for whichever company they get the biggest rate of commission from. It’s just a nasty business.

Fortunately times have changed now. It doesn’t have to involve a broker who does “deals”. It doesn’t have to involve all the stresses and complications that it has done in the past. Tomorrow Finance are a company that are leading the way forward when it comes to home loans. I’ve checked out their stuff (because unfortunately for me I actually know what I’m talking about) and it just makes sense. A one stop online website that sources the best mortgage for you. Kind of like a webjet when you are looking for the best flight or comparing insurances premiums. Enter your details in their home loan calculator and all the rates will come up. Just like that! Whether you want to compare your current home loan or any new loans you can do it in the one spot. The other thing I like about them is the transparency. There are no hidden “commissions” paid to them from your loan. I was always amazed and the amount of money that planners or brokers got long after your loan had settled. Tomorrow Finance get a “spotters fee” directly from the bank for finding your loan which means that the rates are often discounted and lower than what is available to brokers. They are taking out that ongoing component which means you get a better rate from the beginning. All you do is fill out the loan details, chose the bank or lender that suits you best and then it all gets flicked over to the bank and you directly. No in between person. No poor chick (like I was) filling out forms and paperwork and making endless phone calls. Makes sense to me.

Maybe it’s time to make a change from where you are now. A refinance? A new mortgage? A new beginning or tree change or sea change? Mix things up and change your path. Look at me! Writing a blog now, living in the country, a million miles away from finance. And deals. THANK GOD.

You can find out more about Tomorrow Finance here or here or call the boys who run the show. I like the cut of their jibs.

This post was co-ordinated by the The Remarkables Group

Comments

  1. it seems a little fate-ish – but the captain and i just (like literally yesterday) fell in love with a house, by the beach, and wondered how we might make it work…and then beth steps in! from now on, i’ll consult you regarding what to cook for dinner, which gin is best and of course, which boys to talk to about buying a new house. and despite once being in finance…i’ll still be your friend.

  2. Anonymous says

    I love reading YOUR posts BabyMac – always frank, funny and real……..(i’m not going to read your sponsered posts though…. is that ok with you?)

  3. I used a mortgage broker for our mortgage who split the commission with us. GOLD! But yes, it was paperwork hell.

  4. Anonymous says

    Ok, so you got paid for doing this post so how do we know that this firm you are recommending is the goods? It’s a sponsored post. It doesn’t fit you. It doesn’t fit here. You have sold out. Where is the old Beth? This sucks.

    • Anonymous says

      Beth is making a living and being honest about it. You have a choice to read her posts, or not, take a recommendation on service providers, or not, and understand Beth’s motivations and choices, or not.
      Julia
      PS. I am anonymous as I don’t have a profile under any of the choices listed.

    • Colin Munro says

      Anonymous… (snigger snigger) Ah anonymity, the haven of the feeble and those lacking in intestinal fortitude (and you have the hide to hold someone else up for scrutiny for how they conduct themselves).

      You’re a wishy washy little pig.

      (ooo that felt good)

    • Colin Munro says

      PS not you Julia, you sound lovely.

  5. Beth, I’m still trying to get this image in my head of you as the sexy finance corporate – did you wear glasses and tights? Did Rob fall for you ability to fill in forms and work with numbers? Because that would do it for me 😉

  6. Excellent story Beth! I still cannot get my head around you being a mortgage broker. Life works in mysterious ways hey x

    • It’s the circle of life Mrs W – my first paid gig writing about how I hated to work in finance and wanted to be a writer instead! Circle of life or something…x

  7. I too am an ex finance guru! I completely inadvertently ended up working on Wall Street.
    And I too am SO GLAD I don’t work in finance anymore.
    Unfortunately for me the type of finance I worked in has nothing to do with the real world and so has not helped me at all with my normal everyday finance issues…like my mortgage. So I will most definitely be checking out that website.
    I have been dreaming of selling our “city” house and making the move the country…maybe Glen Innes? The only problem is I want to convince all of our friends to make the move with us!

  8. :-)…my dad is a mortgage broker and when he talks business my eyes glaze over…I have no idea how you did it…xoxo

  9. p.s..just curious…why when people have something crappy to say, do they decided to post it under anonymous???…baffles me…

    • It’s one of the joys(!) of the internet. I’m happy to have a grown up discussion with anyone regarding anything to do with me or my blog but I refuse to bite when under the “anon” guise. It baffles me too…

  10. Tee hee, great reaction to your mortgage ways (i used to be a mortgage phone banker at CitiBank part time while at Uni) but my heart laid with drugs (studying pharmacology) & then poppety pop, 4 babies in my 20s & so forget to use my Uni degrees.
    At least you can get your head around mortgages (still) & negative gearing – we just sold a property so this tax return will be interesting. Then we’re buying land, i just wished banks didn’t care so much about current income, they hate people like me – husband on low salary with a housewife & 4 dependents, we barely qualify to borrow. Love Posie

  11. Started out as an interesting account of your early working life, then bang! Sponsored stuff, for me it doesn’t work or interest me, sorry…..

  12. In my opinion Beth this type of post really doesnt suit you. Or maybe this type of post just really doesnt suit me. I love your ‘stuff’, bins and all. I dont love this sponsored gig. It feels like a friend calling in for coffee with an Amway catalogue under their arm. (Ha, showing my age – does Amway even exist anymore?). It feels very wrong.

    • Yes, Amway still exists. And I disagree, this post is nothing like an Amway ‘ambush’. Check the sub-heading… A sponsored post – for Tomorrow Finance. Beth was upfront about the purpose of this post from the start. You weren’t forced to read it.

    • Thanks Lisa. I was well aware this was a sponsored post from the start – for Tomorrow Finance – because I did read the sub-heading – no checking necessary. I was interested to read it and give my opinion on how I thought it went, you know, in my opinion. I am aware I was not forced to read it. I chose to read it as I choose to continue to read Beth’s future posts both sponsored and not.

  13. A mortgage broker? Really? Never would have guessed!

  14. I knew you had brains but a mortgage broker? you never fail to amaze hun. I’ve loved you holidays postcards by the way, I have just been super slack on the commenting side of things lately x

  15. A mortgage broker? A girl’s gotta make a living, right?

    Both then & now.

    So for those telling Beth it doesn’t “suit” her – why don’t you tell us what you do to earn a crust and let us be the judge of whether that’s suitable or not.

    No?

    Then stop reading and wait for the next non sponsored post – and move on.

    Personally – I love a finance nerd.

    😉

    Love,
    Gabs x

  16. What a fantastic tale! I love the winding ways of life. I think you chose a great first sponsored post. I think I just love your connection to it.

  17. Personally, I think this is a well-written sponsored post. Plenty of “you” in there, a funny story, woven in with yes, a product sell but one that doesn’t sound like a press release. As I said to someone the other day, not all the posts I write now suit everyone, so the sponsored ones won’t either. I just wish some of your readers were a tad more flexible and cut you some slack as you navigate this new journey.

  18. Just about to borrow a huge chunk of money to build our house soon! So I found your post and links very useful. I actually liked the way you did the post, and found myself trusting your opinion!

    So you know, you did a great job!

  19. great job Beth, you far from suck, well I don’t know if you suck or not but I like you 😉 xx

  20. I would love to make BIG changes in my career and family life. But I’m a big fat chicken…

  21. I’m guessing it was a big decision to make this change Beth and I love that you are taking the time to explain it to us. Too many people make assumptions, get paid in their day job while they let other people take the risks and just plain DON’T THINK about how/why other people might make the decisions they make.
    You must spend a lot of time writing for our entertainment – thanks for that.

  22. Hi Beth!

    I’ve only been reading your blog for a month or two but I luvs it! As for this sponsored post, you did a great job. Cute story, meaningful advice re the product, and your disclaimer at the top should have been a superbly fat warning for those who don’t wish to read it. Keep on truckin’ lady. You’re doing great 🙂

    Karen

  23. Well done! tx

  24. One of the best sponsored posts I’ve read – power to you Beth.

  25. Beth, as a young woman starting to think about my financial future, this post has been a timely one for me. As a long time reader, I trust your opinion and advice more than most, so thank you!

  26. You did a GREAT job with your first sponsored post lovely. Interesting to read, as always, and yet with valuable info in it. TOP JOB! x

  27. How much more obvious do you have to make it that it was a sponsored post? The approach here was fab. Interesting story, natural segue and the details without a hard sell. Worked for me!

    Keep up the good work. 🙂

  28. You were up front with it being sponsored, so no problem for me! And I read it. In fact, I quite enjoyed reading about your past life.

    Cheers

    Jane

  29. How much more obvious do you have to make it that it was a sponsored post? The approach here was fab. Interesting story, natural segue and the details without a hard sell. Worked for me!

    Keep up the good work. 🙂

  30. Great post Beth. Ha, I spent 10 years studying and finishing my PhD. Then realized I didn’t want to be a researcher! Opps. I just wanted an income after being a poor student for so long! I got a job as an admin assistant at Uni (I’d been there so long I couldn’t leave), which has developed into a Communication Manager role. Funny where we end up.
    After going through the hut building process in a most painful fashion, I hope I never need to shop for a mortgage again. But it sounds like a useful company.

  31. Love it, nothing wrong with a sponsored post if it is something you believe in.. I get people cussing product on the DTLL FB Page sometimes and I just don’t get it?!.. thin its to exy don’t buy it.. finance chat not for you ? don’t read it!

  32. Go girl. If you were writing for a mag, newspaper, or television you would be being paid indirectly by the advertisers. Why not turn your talent into a small business of sorts?

  33. The life is unpredictable whatever you planned of doing in life always doesn’t come out as same as u like you have to accept the truth of life at the end of the day.

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