The Crew

The Crew

Remember that credit union VP who called us "scrupulous in an unscrupulous industry"? Well, meet the scrupulous crew. We're the team behind RetiredMortgages – an economist who traded coding for mortgages, a numbers lover with surprisingly good carpentry skills, and the organizing force who keeps us both in line. We're mortgage brokers who saw how reverse mortgages could help Canadian retirees and decided to make them our focus without all the usual financial industry fluff.

The Fishbowl

Tom built these glass-walled offices himself – nothing fancy, just wood frames and windows that keep us connected. We call it the fishbowl, which started as a joke but stuck around. There's a gap along the top where we can hear pretty much everything, but since our doors are usually open anyway, it doesn't really matter. It's turned into exactly the sort of office we want to come into every day. Remote just isn’t our style.

Full warning: if you swing by on a Friday afternoon after 3:30, you'll most likely find us having what we professionally call "Team Building" (beers in the boardroom). Unless there's a subject removal, of course. Then the beers wait. Like we said - scrupulous.

The Team

Rich Smith

Salmon Arm (or company headquarters) born and raised, Rich went off to study economics at the University of Calgary before heading overseas to write software. Turns out sitting quietly with computers wasn't a great fit for someone who'd rather talk your ear off. Between missing playing outdoors in BC's mountains and missing human interaction, those rainy days in England got old fast. He called his dad about buying into the family business, only to hear "Call Tom - he's already working on buying Tekamar." One quick "hell yeah!" from Tom later, and he was headed home.

These days, when he's not arranging mortgages, you'll find him volunteering with Rotary (where he can't seem to say no to new projects), serving on local boards, or out enjoying everything BC offers - from skiing Revelstoke to hiking the Bugaboos. He married a fellow adventure seeker in Rachel, and together they're usually planning their next trip or outdoor escapade.

His favorite client story? His first reverse mortgage client brought him back a monogrammed Mickey Mouse hat from her Disneyland trip with the grandkids. She left a wonderful review, but honestly, that hat means more to him than any review or fancy awards we’ve won.

Tom Arrowsmith

Our resident spreadsheet lover who happens to be handier with tools than any mortgage broker needs to be (just look at the office he built!). Despite having a marketing degree, he leaves that to Rich - he'd rather spend his time managing the books and working with numbers. Between rebuilding motorcycles, renovating the office, and keeping his truck running, Tom's your classic "fix-it-yourself" dad who never met a project he didn't want to tackle.

He approaches mortgages like he does everything else - if something's not working, there's probably another way to fix or explain it. When he's not spending time with his young son, Paxton, you'll probably find him in his garage working on his latest project.

The only time you'll catch him in a suit is at Rotary's Lobsterfest (yes, he has a lobster-print suit for that) or during December, when he breaks out his collection of Christmas-themed suits. Otherwise, good luck getting him in anything with long sleeves or a collar for that matter.

He's also perpetually planning his next trip to Mexico, despite his stomach's ongoing protests about this life choice. And when winter hits, you'll find Tom and Rich at the curling rink every Wednesday evening. Turns out mortgage guys can sweep.

Amie Den Biesen

Amie joined us in 2021 and basically turned our organized chaos into just... organized. After joining, she knocked out her broker's license faster than most people plan their vacation. Between managing our social media (she's got a real knack for it), keeping the office running smoothly, and raising two busy boys, she somehow makes it all look easy.

She's usually the first smile you'll see when you walk through our door, and probably the friendly voice you'll hear when you call. When she's not in the office or cheering on her kids at their sports games, you'll find her out hiking local trails or planning her next weekend camping adventure. She's got her eye on a campervan for those weekend escapes, but she loves the home she built with her boys too much to go full nomad.

Her drink of choice at our Friday afternoon team buildings? A good tequila ranch water. Says a lot about her taste, really.

Office Mortgage Barker: Styx

The resident mortgage barker (get it? My wife Rachel came up with it so I can't take too much credit) is usually the favorite in office photo competitions. Styx is Rich's rescue dog who's worked hard to reinvent herself since joining the team. She started as a high-strung cattle dog who never quite figured out how to relax. Then she started coming to the fishbowl, where she discovered her true calling - watching the crew through their glass offices, just like she used to watch sheep! Now this 4-year-old heeler mix has mastered the art of professional napping, only occasionally waking up to collect belly rubs or check if anyone's eating lunch at their desk. Not very chatty on the phone, but good company if you ever decide to swing by the office!

Why This Crew?

Pretty simple, really. We know reverse mortgages inside and out - grew up learning the business from our parents, spent years helping clients figure out their best options, and now focus entirely on retirement mortgages because we saw how much they could help.

But knowing the business isn't enough. What matters is how we work: we take time to understand what you need, explain everything clearly, and tell you honestly if our products aren't right for you. No pressure, no rush, just honest advice.

That approach has served us well – it's how we've done business for nearly 50 years, and it's how we'll keep doing it.

Want to see how this actually works? Check out "How We Work" next.