This week, Mortgage Solutions is speaking to Rachel Henderson, lifetime mortgage underwriter at LiveMore.
What does your role at LiveMore entail and how long have you been doing it?
I joined LiveMore in February 2024 as a case manager and was promoted to lifetime mortgage underwriter in January 2025, beginning my training the following month. In my current role, I’m responsible for assessing applications, reviewing risk, and liaising with brokers to help guide cases from submission through to completion. At its core, it’s about helping people realise their plans while making sound lending decisions that work for everyone.
What attracted you to working in the mortgage/property/finance sector?
I studied economics at the University of Glasgow, so I’ve always been drawn to the finance sector. But it was this role that really opened my eyes to the mortgage industry specifically. I love that ambition is rewarded with so much scope to shape your career in different directions. I also saw this first-hand with family friends working in the sector, so it had been on my radar for a while as a space that seemed interesting, challenging, and enjoyable.
Aldermore Insights with Jon Cooper: Edition 9 – Why lending strategy is becoming more central in buy to let
Sponsored by Aldermore
What were you doing in the five years before starting here?
I was at university, studying for my MA while working part-time in hospitality. Balancing both helped build my work ethic and gave me experience dealing with all kinds of people – something that’s definitely carried through into my current role.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
Being able to take a complex situation and break it down clearly is really important – especially when communicating internally across teams or externally with brokers. I’d say my strongest skill is being a people person. I’m comfortable adjusting my tone depending on who I’m speaking to to make sure I’m well understood – making these conversations smoother and more effective.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
I’d love to sharpen my data analysis skills. It was a big part of my degree, and I really enjoyed it, so I’d like to build on that and expand my capabilities further in that area.
What is the most interesting/memorable property deal/case you’ve been involved in?
One case really stuck with me: a customer had been declined by other lenders due to the property’s proximity to pylons and a nearby commercial site. But we took a common-sense approach and worked closely with the surveyor to get it over the line. The customer was 75 and wanted to raise equity to travel the world. He told me he had always dreamed of seeing Vienna one last time. That really brought home how much of a difference we can make. Older borrowers still have ambitions and dreams, and it’s incredibly rewarding to help them fulfil those.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
Definitely still growing my career at LiveMore. I’d like to explore opportunities beyond equity release by maybe moving into standard mortgage underwriting or something that allows me to broaden my experience. One of the great things about LiveMore is the scope to move across the business and keep developing.
If present-day you could go back in time and tell yourself something five years ago, what would it be?
Five years ago, I was just starting my degree during the chaos of the Covid-19 pandemic. I’d tell myself not to stress so much. I remember worrying about what my future career would look like, but everything has a way of working out. If you work hard and stay focused, the right opportunities will come. Just enjoy uni and don’t panic.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve tackled so far in your career?
When I first joined, there were only three of us in the Glasgow office, with the majority of the team based in London, so it took a bit more effort to build my profile internally. But now the Glasgow team is constantly growing, and I feel like I’ve really been able to make my mark. Being based elsewhere has pushed me to get involved more, whether that’s joining events or simply taking the initiative to introduce myself to new colleagues. The shift to more remote working post-Covid has been a big advantage and made it easier to build a meaningful career without having to be in London.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Teleportation. It would be amazing to travel anywhere in the world and still be back in your own bed at night.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
Someone once asked: “Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?” Definitely the 100 duck-sized horses, because I think everything becomes more manageable when you break it down into smaller parts.
From a work perspective, we also get asked some surprisingly basic questions from customers, which is a good reminder that, for many people, this is completely unfamiliar territory. Part of our job is to educate and guide customers through what can be a very complex process – and I really enjoy that side of it.
