Alison Michell: Diary of an IFA

Alison Michell, mortgage adviser for Edinburgh-based IFA Robson Macintosh, endures feeling like it’s Groundhog Day after spending a week getting her children ready and taking them to school, sorting out useful emails from the junk and then getting down to dealing with her clients

Monday

I rose abruptly with my little boy informing me he was cold. It is always an action-packed 1.5 hours getting the kids up, dressed, fed and watered and out the door to school.

I checked the emails, 65 – not bad. I deleted the junk and was pleasantly surprised to see one from a longstanding client, replied and booked to see them on my return to the office on Wednesday, along with a telephone meeting with an international client looking for a buy-to-let property.

I sadly spent the afternoon at a funeral, returning home to visit a psychic. I am too busy apparently. I need to slow down. çhance would be a fine thing with two kids, a husband and work – and a rabbit.

Tuesday

It is like Groundhog Day. After returning from the school run, I plonked myself down in front of the computer, deleted the usual rubbish, to find a decision declined. The client is not sure why, so now the fun bit starts trying to get to the bottom of unsatisfactory payment history. Emailed my assistant to get the ball rolling, spent the next hour food shopping – I hate it.

After finishing a suitability report, I cleared out the cupboards, a job that should have been done ages ago. Three o’clock came in a blink of an eye, I fed the brood and with one off to football training I managed to get a sneaky five-mile run in – bliss. I checked my emails one last time and with them all in bed, relaxed before nodding off myself, the office beckons bright and early. And I fed the rabbit.

Wednesday

I always get that Monday feeling. I got to the office at 7.15, deleted the final few junk emails and reacquainted myself with my case files to take me through the day. I replied to my emails and finalised a report that I emailed to Danni, my assistant. I could not work without her. Spent the morning in two appointments, one international buy-to-let and one pretty straightforward remortgage. The afternoon was spent researching and completing suitability reports. One client was looking to assist their children with the purchase of their first properties. A loan of £510,000 was required so I called the accountant and discussed the best way forward both in terms of the mortgage and tax position.

The evening was spent dropping off at Brownies, another five-mile run, all washed down with homemade fish and chips and, of course, I fed the rabbit.

Thursday

It’s grandad’s day so on top of the usual rush, I add in making the beds, washing up, and vacuuming so that when he picks them up from school and back to ours, he thinks I am actually on top of things.