“The system isn’t broken. It was built this way.” If we want to understand why so many financial reforms in Britain benefit institutions over individuals, we must look beyond surface policies to the power structures that design the game. Three key organisations stand at the heart of this architecture: UK Finance, TheCityUK, and the City … Continue reading 💼 The Three-Headed Lobby: How UK Finance, TheCityUK, and the City of London Corporation Shape the Rules of Extraction
Month: July 2025
The Growth Agenda: Asset Hoovering by Another Name
Why Deregulation Isn’t Growth—It’s Extraction, Repackaged “You can’t regulate for trust by dismantling the brakes.” In the wake of the Mansion House reforms, a familiar story is unfolding. The government’s so-called growth agenda is, in truth, a revival of the old Piscean order—an extractive financial system masquerading as economic progress. It’s not about real innovation … Continue reading The Growth Agenda: Asset Hoovering by Another Name
Bitcoin Doesn’t Inflate — But It Still Extracts
“Fixed supply doesn’t mean fair value.” Bitcoin is often hailed as the antidote to fiat money — a scarce digital asset immune to the whims of central banks. “You can’t print more Bitcoin,” say its advocates, “so it must be better than inflationary fiat.” But this argument misses something critical. Yes — Bitcoin doesn’t inflate … Continue reading Bitcoin Doesn’t Inflate — But It Still Extracts
Bitcoin’s Untold Backstory: Speculation, Gambling, and Market Mythology
“If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.” For years, Bitcoin has been marketed as a monetary messiah. A borderless, bankless utopia. A digital escape from inflation, central banks, and government control. But peel back the layers of myth, and a far more complex picture emerges—one involving gambling roots, market manipulation, and … Continue reading Bitcoin’s Untold Backstory: Speculation, Gambling, and Market Mythology
Enough is Enough: Readers Show More Wisdom Than the Experts on Pension Reform
The revival of the so-called Pension Commission has been welcomed by the usual suspects—industry insiders, policy heads, and providers all salivating at the prospect of more money flowing into their coffers under the guise of “solving” the pension crisis. But let’s be clear: it shouldn’t be called the Pension Commission at all. Why? Because it … Continue reading Enough is Enough: Readers Show More Wisdom Than the Experts on Pension Reform
Is It Time to Leave St. James’s Place? Discover a New Path in Financial Planning
Are you an SJP adviser feeling the pressure?Or do you know someone stuck in that system—frustrated, exhausted, conflicted? If so, you’re not alone.And there is another way. ✅ Let’s start with two simple questions: Do you want to run a planning business built around your values, not someone else’s targets? Do you believe clients deserve … Continue reading Is It Time to Leave St. James’s Place? Discover a New Path in Financial Planning
Is Bitcoin Really the World’s Most Ethical Asset? A Conscience Check.
I was recently challenged—respectfully but firmly—for expressing concern about Bitcoin’s role in our shared future. The criticism? That my take was “outdated and just plain wrong.” I welcomed it. Because in an age of shouting and silencing, there’s value in slowing down to listen. To revisit claims. To check facts. To sit with conscience, not … Continue reading Is Bitcoin Really the World’s Most Ethical Asset? A Conscience Check.
💥 Keep Your Bitcoins: Why I Won’t Enrich Myself at the Expense of the Future
By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning Bitcoin has just smashed through the $120,000 mark. Social media timelines are flooded with FOMO-fuelled headlines and chest-thumping crypto champions proclaiming, “We told you so.” But while the markets roar, I choose silence. I’m not buying. Not because I don’t understand the opportunity. I do. … Continue reading 💥 Keep Your Bitcoins: Why I Won’t Enrich Myself at the Expense of the Future
Flowing Around the Rock: Ethical Leadership in Financial Services
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists; when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” — Lao Tzu In the Age of Aquarius, leadership is no longer about dominance, extraction, or control. It’s about flow. About quietly influencing change not by overpowering the rock, but … Continue reading Flowing Around the Rock: Ethical Leadership in Financial Services
Who Guards the Guardians? The FCA, Money Box, and the Disappearing Line Between Advocacy and Sales
“Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets.”— Kevin Plank It began, as many things do, with a trusted voice on the radio. The BBC’s Money Box has long been a staple of consumer advocacy in Britain — a comforting soundscape of sensible financial advice, delivered with journalistic credibility. But something didn’t sit right … Continue reading Who Guards the Guardians? The FCA, Money Box, and the Disappearing Line Between Advocacy and Sales
Academy of Life Planning 