Only 1 in 10 Britons are financially secure. That headline should stop us in our tracks. But it shouldn’t surprise us. For decades, financial planning has focused on managing what people already have — not on increasing their capacity to create more. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: You cannot empty the pockets of those whose … Continue reading Stop Managing Dry Wells
Author: Steve Conley
Steve Conley brings over four decades of innovation and expertise to the forefront of financial planning. As the founder and driving force behind the Academy of Life Planning and HapNav Ltd, Steve has been a pivotal figure in transforming financial services to be more democratic and decentralised. His role as a Game Plan Practitioner, Coach, Mentor, Speaker, and Author of "Your Money or Your Life: Unmask the Highway Robbers - Enjoy Wealth in Every Area of Your Life" underlines his comprehensive approach to financial education.
The Academy of Life Planning, hailed as the "Most Pioneering Financial Planner Network," reflects Steve's commitment to fostering transparency, integrity, and accessibility. This institution serves as a testament to his dedication to enhancing the financial planning landscape.
Under Steve's innovative leadership, HapNav Ltd has launched groundbreaking advancements, including the first end-user financial planning app integrated with open banking. This app guides users towards achieving 'Kokoro'—a life rich in financial, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual abundance.
Recently, Steve introduced "Planning My Life" and "Financial Life Coach"—services that extend his ethos into practical, impactful tools for financial autonomy. "Planning My Life" offers an affordable subscription model, giving members access to an AI Life Planner, comprehensive resources, and expert insights. These initiatives epitomise Steve’s commitment to empowering individuals, nurturing community growth, and contributing significantly to global efforts to eradicate poverty.
Steve's journey is more than a career; it's a steadfast crusade to revolutionise financial education and planning, creating a world where financial wellbeing is not just attainable, but enriches every aspect of our lives. Contact steve.conley@aolp.co.uk.
The Crunch That Finally Breaks the Advice Model
If you’re an adviser right now and you feel pressure… You’re not imagining it. You’re being squeezed. From every direction. And this isn’t a temporary wobble. It’s structural. Let’s line them up. Crunch #1: Regulation Got Heavier Consumer Duty didn’t “tweak” things. It raised the bar. Evidence. Justify. Document. Monitor. Every client. Every year. That … Continue reading The Crunch That Finally Breaks the Advice Model
A Financial Plan Without Human Capital Is Structurally Incomplete
Most financial plans model assets.Few model the asset that drives them all. If you are approaching the bridge from traditional advice into Total Wealth Planning, this is one of the most important structural shifts you will make: Human capital is not a soft add-on. It is the primary productive asset. And the academic foundation for … Continue reading A Financial Plan Without Human Capital Is Structurally Incomplete
Banks Are Back in Advice — But Nothing Fundamental Has Changed
Why incumbents should be wary — and why citizens should be cautious In 2012, I left banking. Not because I fell out of love with financial planning — quite the opposite — but because the banks had fallen out of love with advice. The exit of the major banks from bancassurance following the Retail Distribution … Continue reading Banks Are Back in Advice — But Nothing Fundamental Has Changed
AI, Adviser Survival, and the Missing Step Nobody Is Showing
There’s a lot of talk right now about advisers facing an “AI disruption event”. The language is dramatic.Meteorites. Dinosaurs. Extinction. And while the risk is real, the framing is often wrong. What I’m seeing on the ground isn’t complacency or incapability. It’s something far more human. Advisers Aren’t Failing — They’re Overloaded Most advisers I … Continue reading AI, Adviser Survival, and the Missing Step Nobody Is Showing
Can You Really Make a Living Outside Regulation?
A practical answer for advisers thinking about what comes next For many regulated advisers, the desire to step away from regulation isn’t ideological. It’s practical. Rising compliance burden Shrinking emotional bandwidth Clients who need thinking space, not products And a quiet question that won’t go away:“There must be a better way to do this.” Yet … Continue reading Can You Really Make a Living Outside Regulation?
Why Human Capital Must Sit at the Heart of a Total Wealth Plan
What the evidence really tells planners at the bridge For many financial planners, the journey toward Total Wealth Planning begins with a quiet but uncomfortable realisation: “I’m excellent at modelling money — but that’s no longer where the real risk or opportunity sits.” This is not a philosophical concern. It is now an evidence-based one. … Continue reading Why Human Capital Must Sit at the Heart of a Total Wealth Plan
When You’re Desperate for Answers, the Rabbit Hole Can Look Like Rescue
A Get SAFE guide for people under financial threat If you are facing enforcement, eviction, debt, or court action, your nervous system is not in “research mode”. It is in survival mode. Your brain is scanning for certainty, control, and a way to make the threat stop. That is not weakness. That is biology. And … Continue reading When You’re Desperate for Answers, the Rabbit Hole Can Look Like Rescue
When the System Defends Itself
A survival guide for citizen advocates who can’t switch their minds off If you’re reading this at night, wide awake, replaying exchanges with regulators, professionals, or officials who seem calm while people are being harmed — you’re not alone. Many citizen advocates, Transparency Task Force members, and victim supporters describe the same experience: “I can’t … Continue reading When the System Defends Itself
FCA Client Categorisation: When “Out of Scope” Becomes a Second Harm
The article below raises serious concerns about proposed changes to FCA client categorisation rules — and from the Academy of Life Planning’s perspective, these concerns are not theoretical. [Article, Money Marketing 3rd February 2026: FCA client categorisation shake-up faces consumer backlash, Momodou Musa Touray] They are already playing out, quietly and repeatedly, in the real … Continue reading FCA Client Categorisation: When “Out of Scope” Becomes a Second Harm
Academy of Life Planning 