A New Language for Restoring Human Agency By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning There is a moment—quiet but unmistakable—when something no longer feels right. A decision you don’t fully understand.A situation that feels out of control.A sense that you are being carried by events rather than directing them. In that moment, people do not … Continue reading Clarity. Control. Confidence. Care. Course.
Month: April 2026
Vulnerability, Capability, and the Total Wealth Planner
Reframing financial planning beyond the regulatory perimeter The financial services industry has long organised itself around regulation. Advice, products, permissions, and compliance frameworks form the dominant architecture through which financial decisions are understood and delivered. Yet this architecture, while necessary, is partial. It governs only a small part of the reality it seeks to influence. … Continue reading Vulnerability, Capability, and the Total Wealth Planner
Trail Commission Isn’t the Problem? Good. Now Let’s Talk About What Is.
The system is asking the wrong question—again There’s a growing consensus emerging in response to the FCA’s renewed focus on trail commission: “Trail commission isn’t the real problem.” Ed Dymott is right to highlight this. He points to something many inside the system already know: Billions trapped in legacy products Structural barriers to switching Tax … Continue reading Trail Commission Isn’t the Problem? Good. Now Let’s Talk About What Is.
FCA Complaints Data: A System Improving—or a System Reframing the Numbers?
The latest complaints data from the Financial Conduct Authority presents a superficially reassuring picture. Complaint volumes remain broadly stable at 1.87 million. The proportion of complaints upheld has declined. Total redress has fallen. Average compensation per case is lower. Taken together, these figures might suggest a system gradually improving—firms resolving issues earlier, fewer serious failings … Continue reading FCA Complaints Data: A System Improving—or a System Reframing the Numbers?
The Pipeline Question: Are We Building a Profession—or Feeding a System?
By Steve Conley In April 2026, the Personal Finance Society (PFS) announced that it had achieved a significant milestone: more than 500 new entrants recruited into its Pathway to the Profession initiative. Backed by a £1 million investment from PFS, the programme has been positioned as a bold step forward—lowering barriers to entry, widening participation, … Continue reading The Pipeline Question: Are We Building a Profession—or Feeding a System?
Restoring Human Agency—Before, During, and After Financial Harm
By the Academy of Life Planning | http://www.academyoflifeplanning.com A Total Wealth Planner is someone who has restored their human agency—able to think clearly, act independently, and navigate life, money, and uncertainty without reliance on structurally untrustworthy systems. The Gap We’ve Been Designing Around For decades, financial planning has been framed as a service delivered at … Continue reading Restoring Human Agency—Before, During, and After Financial Harm
AI Won’t Cut Headcount in Financial Planning… Or Will It?
A recent industry survey suggests that nearly 70% of financial planning firms do not expect artificial intelligence to reduce headcount this year. At first glance, that sounds reassuring. Stable. Even optimistic. But look a little closer, and a different picture begins to emerge—not one of stability, but of transition. What the Industry Is Saying The … Continue reading AI Won’t Cut Headcount in Financial Planning… Or Will It?
Restoring Human Agency in a Structurally Untrustworthy World
Restoring Human Agency in a Structurally Untrustworthy World A Total Wealth Planner is someone who has restored their human agency—able to think clearly, act independently, and navigate life, money, and uncertainty without reliance on structurally untrustworthy systems. The Problem We Rarely Name We live in a world where trust is assumed—but too often misplaced. Financial … Continue reading Restoring Human Agency in a Structurally Untrustworthy World
AI Can Cut Advice Admin to Seconds — But That’s Not the Real Story
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning A recent industry piece featuring Bravura Solutions makes a bold claim: artificial intelligence could reduce core adviser tasks from hours to seconds. They’re right. But they’re also missing the point. This is not an efficiency story.It’s a structural shift in who holds power, who makes decisions, and what … Continue reading AI Can Cut Advice Admin to Seconds — But That’s Not the Real Story
When Judges Use AI… What It Means for You
There’s been a quiet but important shift in the UK courts. Senior judges are now openly using artificial intelligence as part of their day-to-day work. Not to decide cases—but to improve clarity, reduce error, and increase efficiency. That matters. Because it shows where AI is genuinely useful—and where the boundaries still sit. The judiciary has … Continue reading When Judges Use AI… What It Means for You
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