The financial advice industry is at a tipping point. As artificial intelligence (AI) automates technical knowledge and routine processes, traditional advisers face an existential question: What is their real value to the client?
According to Ian McKenna, founder of the Financial Technology Research Centre, the days of advisers acting as the “gatekeepers of knowledge” are numbered. In a recent webinar, McKenna highlighted the sector’s rapid shift, noting that the true competitive edge in the coming decade won’t lie in technical prowess—it will lie in human connection, psychology, and behavioural insight.
This fundamental shift isn’t a threat to holistic wealth planners—it’s an opportunity. In fact, for those delivering the GAME Plan—a life-centred framework built around Goals, Actions, Means, and Execution—this evolution is a powerful validation of their model. Here’s why:
1. AI Levels the Playing Field—Human Insight Becomes the Differentiator
AI is democratising access to financial knowledge. Complex calculations, risk profiling, portfolio analysis—once the preserve of experts—are now available to anyone via intelligent systems and chatbots. This levels the playing field. What can’t be automated, however, is wisdom.
The GAME Plan goes far beyond technical advice. It taps into the deeper questions of meaning, motivation, and life satisfaction. By helping clients clarify what they truly want from life—and aligning their finances accordingly—planners become facilitators of transformation, not just transactions.
2. The Psychology Route Is the Future—And GAME Planners Are Already There
McKenna predicts that more advisers will transition into psychology and behavioural science as core differentiators. For GAME Plan practitioners, this is already embedded. The model’s emphasis on life goals before money goals, and its use of tools like the Significant STORIES System, means planners work with the client’s subconscious drivers, not just their bank statements.
This shift away from products and projections toward purpose and potential is what consumers increasingly value—and what AI simply cannot replicate.
3. Digital Engagement Is Rising—But Human Guidance Remains Essential
The research shows 8% of consumers now prefer an AI chatbot for financial guidance, and the majority favour digital engagement over traditional in-person meetings. This confirms that the market is moving toward hybrid, scalable, and self-directed advice models.
GAME Plan professionals can meet this demand with digital-first delivery while maintaining deeply human engagement. Whether through webinars, client portals, or one-to-one coaching, the model adapts to the client’s preferences—providing accessibility without sacrificing authenticity.
4. Held-Away Assets and Trust—Why Clients Need Holistic Planners
One of the most striking findings from McKenna’s research was that many clients don’t disclose their full financial picture to their advisers. This gap—known as “held-away assets”—undermines the integrity of traditional advice models.
GAME Planners, by contrast, begin with the whole person, not just their investment portfolio. By building trust through life-first conversations, planners are more likely to unlock a full picture of the client’s situation—financial and otherwise. This enhances accuracy and effectiveness, while deepening the advisory relationship.
5. Cost Sensitivity Is Real—But People Will Pay for Purpose
Only 14% of consumers want fact-finding to happen in person—and 20% would sacrifice it for lower costs. This signals a major shift: people will pay for financial planning that is meaningful, not procedural.
The GAME Plan delivers exactly this. It’s not about box-ticking compliance; it’s about crafting a life well-lived. It provides planners with a low-cost, high-impact framework that meets clients where they are—digitally, psychologically, and purposefully.
Conclusion: The Future Belongs to Human-Centric Financial Planning
We are witnessing the unbundling of financial advice. AI will handle data. Portals will handle admin. The adviser of the future is a coach, guide, and catalyst for transformation.
This is the moment holistic wealth planners have been preparing for. With the GAME Plan, they are not only ready—they are leading. The question is not whether this shift will happen. It already is. The question now is: Who will rise to meet it?
Ready to Lead the Future of Financial Planning?
As AI reshapes the landscape of advice, the future belongs to those who can do what machines cannot: connect deeply, inspire change, and help clients live with purpose.
If you’re a financial adviser ready to evolve beyond traditional product-focused models, now is the time to reposition yourself as a Holistic Wealth Planner (HWP®)—someone who empowers clients through life-first, values-driven financial planning.
At the Academy of Life Planning, we offer the training, accreditation, and supportive community you need to make this transition. Our GAME Plan framework equips you with the tools to align clients’ financial strategies with their life goals—without recommending specific products.
✅ Already QCF Level 4 qualified?
✅ A member of a recognised financial body (CISI, CII, PFS)?
✅ Ready to ditch the sales agenda and embrace a service rooted in integrity and transformation?
Then you’re ready to become an HWP®.
Take the Next Step
🔹 Join the Academy
🔹 Train as a GAME Plan Practitioner
🔹 Earn the HWP® title and start delivering real-life impact
This is more than a new qualification. It’s a new way to serve—authentically, independently, and with purpose.
👉 Visit www.aolp.info to begin your journey
📩 Or contact us directly to speak with someone about how to get started
Change lives. Change your practice. Become a Holistic Wealth Planner today.
Your Money or Your Life
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By Steve Conley. Available on Amazon. Visit www.steve.conley.co.uk to find out more.
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