A recent study reveals a telling statistic: 86% of UK adults with over £100,000 in investable assets are not using a financial adviser. That’s more than 16 million people, rejecting delegation and choosing empowerment. And yet, the financial establishment continues to frame this as a “missed opportunity” — not for the people, but for the advisers.
The asset hooverers — those who see people as portfolios — are pushing hard for deregulation under the guise of growth. Like the Mansion House Accord before it, this latest NextWealth–Aegon report gives voice to an industry eager to strip back consumer protection to boost its AUM. A full 48% of advisers now say regulation must ease if firms are to grow.
But grow for whom?
The argument goes like this: more advice equals more assets under advice, which equals more economic benefit. But scratch the surface and it’s clear — this isn’t about improving lives; it’s about extracting value. “Organic growth” has become code for expanding reach, increasing control, and monetising the unmonetised. In short: more clients, fewer rules.
The Real Growth Story: Human Capital, Not Regulatory Arbitrage
While the industry plots how to absorb the 86%, the truth is that this segment has already made its decision. They’re not passive, uninformed, or waiting to be saved. They’re discerning. They’re autonomous. They’re exploring a different path — one that values transparency, self-agency, and holistic planning.
This is the Aquarian model — not the Piscean model of product-pushing, but a values-led movement focused on empowerment. Planning done with people, not to them.
Rather than deregulate to fuel another wave of extraction, we should be investing in education, ethical tools, and human potential. That means strengthening the perimeter — not relaxing it — and reimagining what “financial advice” can mean in an age where information asymmetry is collapsing.
Beware the Trojan Horse of ‘Targeted Support’
The FCA’s upcoming “targeted support” regime is being marketed as a solution. But to many, it’s just another blurring of lines. As Laura Cornely of Count rightly observes, most people already struggle to distinguish between advice and guidance. Adding a third category may serve the industry’s need to scale, but it risks further disempowering consumers through confusion.
The public doesn’t want more ambiguity. They want clarity, trust, and the tools to act on their own terms.
Conclusion: The 86% Already Get It. Do We?
The 86% are not a market to be captured — they’re a movement to be learned from. Instead of chasing growth by weakening the rules, the profession should evolve by listening to what people are really asking for: independence, integrity, and alignment with their values.
At the Academy of Life Planning, we champion an Aquarian alternative — one that sees people not as pots of assets, but as whole human beings. The future of financial planning isn’t in deregulation — it’s in decentralisation.
The revolution isn’t coming. It’s already quietly underway.
From Extraction to Empowerment: A New Proposition for Advisers
The System Is Cracking. The Future Is Calling.
You’re a financial adviser. You entered this profession to help people, build meaningful relationships, and create a business you’re proud of.
But if you’re honest, the job has changed. You’ve become tethered to sales targets disguised as “expectations,” servicing clients you don’t really own, in a system that calls you self-employed—until you step out of line.
You’re measured in assets, not impact.
Your worth is judged by recurring revenue, not transformation.
You’re tired of feeling like a product distributor in a suit.
If this feels familiar, it’s not your fault.
You’re caught in the Piscean model—one built on delegation, extraction, and opacity. A system whose very survival depends on keeping the client passive, disempowered, and overcharged.
But here’s the good news:
86% of people with over £100k in investable assets are already rejecting that model.
They don’t want to delegate. They want to understand, engage, and own their financial journey.
They want life planning before money planning.
They want empowerment over intermediation.
They want YOU—but not the version of you limited by the old game.
The Aquarian Age Needs a New Kind of Adviser
At the Academy of Life Planning, we offer you a path out—a way to become the adviser you always wanted to be:
- No regulatory perimeter traps
Because holistic financial planning—done right—is education, not regulated advice. - No book-buying debt
You keep the clients you attract. You own your relationships. - No six-day pressure cooker
You design your business, your way—around your life, not the other way round. - No need to sell products
You sell clarity, confidence, and transformation. Products become optional—not your purpose. - No fit and proper test
Because financial planning, in its purest form, isn’t about selling—it’s about serving.
The GAME Plan: Your Toolkit for the Transition
Our flagship GAME Plan Practitioner Programme teaches you the mindset, methods, and tools to thrive in this new paradigm:
✅ Plan the client before the money
✅ Model lifetime cashflow using human capital
✅ Develop deep discovery and life alignment skills
✅ Offer education and empowerment, not dependency
✅ Build a scalable, service-led practice on your terms
Whether you’re still inside SJP or already planning your exit, you can start now—side hustle or full shift.
We’ll show you how to legally navigate restrictive covenants, retain your client base, and unlock new income streams—without stepping on the wrong side of the regulator.
Why This Matters Now
This isn’t just a business opportunity. It’s a moral one.
We’ve lost good people to the pressure cooker.
We’ve seen advisers pushed to the brink—emotionally, financially, and ethically.
One story in this transcript involved an adviser who took his own life under the strain. We must never let that happen again.
You don’t have to play their game.
There is another way.
You can leave extraction behind—and choose empowerment.
Let’s Build Something Better—Together
If you’re ready to reclaim your autonomy, restore your integrity, and rediscover your purpose as a planner:
👉 Join the Academy of Life Planning
👉 Become a GAME Plan Practitioner
👉 Book a 15-min call with Steve
Or if you know someone still stuck in the old system—show them this.
Because change isn’t just possible.
It’s happening.
And you’re invited.
Join the M-POWER Movement: From Financial Extraction to Personal Liberation
We’re not here to sell you products. We’re here to help you reclaim your power.
The old financial system thrived on confusion, dependency, and hidden fees.
The new era is about clarity, confidence, and conscious choice.
What You’ll Gain
Empowered Planning
Learn how to manage your money without salespeople or smoke and mirrors.
Flat fees. No jargon. Total control.
Purposeful Enterprise
Turn your experience into a mission-led practice.
Whether you guide others or just guide yourself — we’ll show you how.
Conscious Evolution
Grow beyond old paradigms. Step into Aquarian leadership, where financial planning meets soul purpose.
How to Begin
Join the M-POWER Community
→ Free access to resources, events, and peers redefining the future of planning.
→ Community Link
Book a Discovery Call
→ Personal guidance to align your money with meaning — no sales, just insight
→ Booking Page
Be the Ripple
→ Share this post or invite others to the movement.
→ Join Planning My Life Facebook Group
The future isn’t built on percentage fees.
It’s built on purpose, participation, and personal agency.
Let’s shift the system — one planner at a time.
#MPOWER #FinancialFreedom #AquarianPlanning #SelfAgency #FlatFees #DimensionalLeadership #GAMEPlan #FinancialTransparency
Academy of Life Planning 
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