Mortgage planner

A "mortgage planner" is a generic niche term for a mortgage professional (i.e. "loan originator, mortgage loan officer). A mortgage planner performs the usual duties of originating a home loan but also includes a level of consultation which designs a mortgage strategy that incorporates the long and short term financial goals of a consumer.
The term "mortgage planner" became popularized in the years following the 2002 release of a book by author Douglas R. Andrew titled "Missed Fortune" (http://www.missedfortune.com). Missed Fortune focused on the idea of redirecting home equity for the purpose of creating greater financial safety, liquidity and a higher return on a home as an investment. The ultimate purpose of the book was more self serving than unbiased in that the goal of the author was to sell annuity products to his customer base.
Prominent individuals from the mortgage industry picked up on the basic concept of Missed Fortune and adopted the term "mortgage planning" as a sales and marketing tool to be used to differentiate themselves from their competition. Others in the mortgage industry saw mortgage planning as an opportunity to lauch new organizations and/or products designed to improve the standards within the mortgage industry.
At the present time, there are no industry wide standards which constitute what education and/or skills a mortgage planner should possess. There are several certification institutes from which mortgage planners may acquire designations such as the "Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist Institute" (http://www.cmpsinstitute.org), Strategic Equity's "Certified Mortgage Advisor" designation, and the "Certified Liability Advisor" designation. These are all private institutions, that are not recognized by any mortgage authority, which deliver a curriculum based on multiple advanced topics and instruction into many proven strategies that prominent mortgage originators have used in their mortgage planning practices.
These organizations strive to educate mortgage originators on aspects of various licensed industries (i.e. CPA's, Financial Advisors, Financial Planners, Investment Advisors, Estate Planners and Tax Advisors) which impact homeowners. Certification in these organizations requires relatively little training as compared with the actual industries from which the information is taken. Consumers should be cautious and determine exactly what level of training a mortgage planner actual has.
In general, mortgage planners have a purpose which encompasses assisting clients in credit optimization, real estate portfolio planning, debt reduction, and for the more sophisticated client a mortgage planner may instruct and educate their clients on the benefits of arbitrage (borrowing at one rate and investing at another rate for profit) with the purpose of increasing safety, liquidity and rate of return.
A qualified mortgage planner may provide critical additional value to the homeowner. These specialists are more equipped to aid in the selection of appropriate liability financing designed to enhance the total wealth of a consumer. Often, if a mortgage applicant seeks their loan from a loan officer instead of a mortgage planner they may not receive the same level of full service.

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