By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning IntroductionWhen it comes to prosecuting banks for economic crime, we are not starting at zero—we’re starting from minus ten. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) was heralded as a turning point in the UK’s ability to hold corporate giants accountable. But as legal experts admit, … Continue reading From ‘Almost Impossible’ to ‘Quite Difficult’: Why Banks Still Escape Justice for Economic Crime →

By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning22 April 2025 The government's decision to halve inheritance tax (IHT) relief on shares listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) has sent shockwaves through the UK’s growth ecosystem. While the Treasury aims to raise at least £110 million annually from this measure, the fallout for UK entrepreneurship and … Continue reading IHT Raid on AIM: A Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Growth Pain →

At the heart of the Academy of Life Planning’s transformative approach lies a deceptively simple yet profoundly powerful concept: the Significant S.T.O.R.I.E.S System. It’s not a gimmick, not a trend – but a method rooted in ancient wisdom and designed for the real challenges of modern life. This system is part of our broader GAME … Continue reading Unlocking Human Potential: The Power of the Significant S.T.O.R.I.E.S System →

As society faces a growing pension crisis, with the affordability of sustained State pension benefits under increasing pressure, we must challenge our very notion of retirement. At the Academy of Life Planning, our holistic wealth planners see retirement not as an abrupt end to productivity, but as an opportunity to reframe how we contribute meaningfully … Continue reading Why Retire at All? Rethinking Retirement through a Holistic Wealth Lens →

From Promises to Plunder—How Labour's First Year Has Failed Retirees In honour of every pensioner betrayed by policy dressed as progress. For the workers who kept the country running, and the retirees now footing the bill. “Pensioners deserve security in retirement,” they said. But what have they delivered? Stripped benefits.Frozen thresholds.Punitive taxes.And behind it all—the … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: The Great Pension Pillage →

For every pension holder being told they’ve dodged the taxman with a shiny new Whole of Life policy—this one’s for you. Not because you're being protected. But because you're being played. The New Scam in Town It sounds clever, doesn’t it? “Buy a Whole of Life policy to cover the potential inheritance tax on your … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: How ‘Protection’ Became Exploitation →

By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning17 April 2025 – Reading Time: 5 Minutes In the early 1990s, the name Robert Maxwell became synonymous with pension betrayal. His theft of an estimated £400–£800 million from the Mirror Group pension fund shook the nation and led to major reforms. Yet today, a far greater scandal … Continue reading Britain’s Hidden Timebomb: The Truth About the UK’s Public Sector Pension Deficit →

Now is a great time for bad actors. But who gave them the green light? For the slick-suited product pushers and the private equity vultures circling our pensions—this is their moment. The government’s growth agenda and the FCA’s deregulation playbook have teamed up to roll out the red carpet. But let’s be honest: this isn’t … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: Growth for Whom? →

As the financial advice profession wrestles with its future identity—sales-driven or planning-led—recent developments at two key professional bodies cast a spotlight on the road ahead. PFS Appoints Carla Brown: A Sales Industry Signal The Personal Finance Society (PFS) has appointed Carla Brown, chief executive of Oakmere Wealth Management and a prominent St. James’s Place (SJP) … Continue reading Sales or Planning? The Diverging Futures of the Financial Advice Profession →