By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning The language of pensions is changing—but we must ask: value for whom? In Rachel Reeves’ Mansion House speech, we saw the familiar Piscean playbook repackaged in Aquarian wrapping. Beneath the rhetoric of “long-term value,” what’s really happening is a redefinition of value for money—from protecting the consumer … Continue reading 🔁 From Value for Money to Money for the Machine →

By Steve Conley On 15th July 2025, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her Mansion House speech. It was framed as a call to growth—cutting red tape, modernising regulation, and making Britain “the best place in the world for financial services.” The Treasury’s messaging was polished, its tone upbeat, and its targets clear: unlock capital, cut regulatory … Continue reading Why I Believe We Need to Build, Not Just Reform, the Financial System →

By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning “For too long, we have presented investment in too negative a light,” said Chancellor Rachel Reeves, urging regulators to loosen the reins and let the financial sector ‘grow’ once again. On the surface, it sounded like optimism. But beneath the oratory at the Mansion House Dinner, one … Continue reading Mansion House 2025: The Last Supper of the Piscean System? →

💡 THE BIG SHIFT: Piscean vs Aquarian Financial Services In the traditional Piscean system, financial services revolve around GDP and Assets Under Management (AUM). Growth is defined by how much wealth can be accumulated by institutions — and extracted from the public. Advisers are rewarded for harvesting fees, not for creating value. But this extractive … Continue reading 🌊 Piscean vs 🌬️ Aquarian Financial Services →

By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning ❓What is the “dimensional shift” people are talking about? The dimensional shift refers to a collective transition in human consciousness — from third-dimensional (3D) thinking rooted in fear, separation, and survival…to fifth-dimensional (5D) awareness grounded in unity, compassion, and co-creation. This idea is popularised by spiritual thinkers … Continue reading 🧭 What Is the Dimensional Shift — And How Does It Align with Holistic Wealth Planning? →

“The worst offers are those that portray themselves as the best.”— An old truth worth applying to new technologies. For years, Bitcoin has been portrayed as a liberating force—decentralised, incorruptible, and designed to wrest control from the banking elite. And yet, more than a decade in, we must ask: has it really decentralised wealth and … Continue reading Bitcoin: Revolution or Reinvention of the Same Old Game? →

“Those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing.” When Aquarian values—transparency, collective accountability, and integrity—are brought into a Piscean system built on secrecy, hierarchy, and control, the reaction is often swift and brutal: you're out. The case of Abby Thomas, ousted CEO of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), is a textbook example. Today’s Treasury Select … Continue reading 🔮 When Aquarian Light Shines in a Piscean Hall of Mirrors: The FOS Scandal and the Accountability Deficit →

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing."– Attributed to Edmund Burke We are living through the death rattle of the Piscean era—an age defined by control, hierarchy, and exploitation. An age where silence has become complicity. Where predators wear suits and are celebrated as “successful.” Where … Continue reading The Silence That Kills: From Pisces to Aquarius →