The term "mortgage planner" has been adopted as a generic niche term for mortgage originators who choose to assist borrowers on a more personal level by incorporating the mortgage decision with a borrowers short and long-term financial objectives.
This is in contrast to other related occupations, such as financial advisors and real estate agents, where agency is more clearly defined.
While mortgage brokering license requirements do exist, they are maintained on a state level, and enforcement is often difficult.
[citation needed] This factor, in conjunction with the rise in unconventional mortgage products between 1999 and 2006, has led to some brokers taking advantage of unsuspecting consumers.
[3] These tools often include, but are not limited to, advanced software to compare mortgage products in a side be side comparison, credit scoring services to determine the best way to help a client to qualify for a particular program, and additional financial or debt management programs which create additional options for the client and the mortgage planner to use to achieve their goals.