By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning
1 Peter 4:10 (NIV):
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
The financial services industry plays a critical role in managing the flow of money—a system that has existed ever since authorities invented it and staked their claim over property ownership. From that moment, we’ve had to pay simply to live.
But must we live as servants to someone else’s design?
The prevailing system offers a grim bargain: spend 40 of your best years on a treadmill of work, serving money gods, in the hope of buying a fleeting slice of happiness in the final 16. For many, that bet doesn’t pay off. The number of losers is growing—especially as authorities increasingly treat our life savings as their personal piggy bank. Enough is enough.
What Needs to Change?
We need a structurally trustworthy system—not a rigged one. That requires strong walls:
- Between advice and product, so planning has integrity
- Between authorities and markets, so power isn’t abused
- Between industry and regulators, so watchdogs aren’t lapdogs
These walls don’t exist today. That’s why the public suffers. It’s also why I’ve long supported The Transparency Taskforce, a collaborative campaigning community calling for systemic reform. This week, I was honoured to be invited onto its Advisory Board—a role I proudly accept. Change from the top down takes time. But bottom-up change? That can be swift, powerful, and liberating.
Building the Bottom-Up Alternative
In 2012, I founded the Academy of Life Planning, a values-led advisory service that separates advice from products. It empowers people to plan their lives first, not their money. We’re growing a global community of non-intermediating financial planners—professionals who work for their clients, not providers.
For those already harmed by the system, we’ve also launched Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation), a charity-in-the-making offering free, holistic recovery support.
I’m a former insider of the financial machine. I’ve seen how the gears turn—and whom they grind down. But I’ve also seen the way out. I believe our talents are a gift from God. Our purpose is to use them not in the service of systems that exploit—but in service to each other, aligned with God’s will.
It’s time to stop living someone else’s plan.
It’s time to write your own.
Romans 12:6–8 (NIV):
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us… If it is to serve, then serve; if it is to teach, then teach…”
Your Money or Your Life
Unmask the highway robbers – Enjoy wealth in every area of your life!
By Steve Conley. Available on Amazon. Visit www.steve.conley.co.uk to find out more.
Academy of Life Planning 