From silence to strength: Fighting back against investment fraud in Britain 🕯️ For those who lost everything and heard only silence. For those still searching for answers. For those ready to rise. 🔍 The Injustice Unmasked They called you on a weekday afternoon. Maybe you were at home, maybe you were tired. Maybe you just … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: The Scam That Stole £56 Million – And What You Can Do Now
Author: Steve Conley
Steve Conley is the founder of the Academy of Life Planning, a movement dedicated to restoring human agency in financial planning and helping people navigate life's decisions with greater confidence, capability and independence.
With over 40 years' experience in financial services, Steve has held senior leadership roles with HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Royal London. A Chartered Financial Planner and Chartered Insurer, he combines deep industry expertise with a passion for challenging systems that leave people unnecessarily dependent on experts.
Steve believes the future of financial planning is not about replacing advisers with artificial intelligence, but using AI to strengthen people's ability to understand, question and make informed decisions for themselves. This philosophy underpins Academy OS, a growing ecosystem of AI-powered tools designed to help individuals, families and planners build capability rather than dependency.
Through the Academy of Life Planning, Steve works with financial planners, organisations and individuals who share a vision of a more transparent, ethical and human-centred approach to planning. His work spans education, research, technology, speaking and professional development, with a focus on creating practical solutions that improve financial capability and restore confidence in decision-making.
Steve is also the creator of the Total Wealth Planner approach, which recognises that a fulfilling life depends on far more than money alone. By integrating financial, personal, social and purpose-driven wellbeing, he helps people pursue what he calls "enough"—a life of balance, resilience and meaning.
As a speaker, mentor and author of *Your Money or Your Life: Unmask the Highway Robbers*, Steve continues to challenge conventional thinking about financial planning, arguing that the profession's greatest opportunity is to move beyond advice alone and become a catalyst for greater human agency.
To learn more or connect with Steve, visit the Academy of Life Planning or email steve@academyoflifeplanning.com.
Transparency Over Commission: Why the Academy of Life Planning Supports a Fairer Protection Market
By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a review into the pure protection insurance market, raising serious concerns about commission-driven practices. Some have criticised my vocal support for this investigation. Let me be clear: the Academy of Life Planning welcomes this review. We believe it's … Continue reading Transparency Over Commission: Why the Academy of Life Planning Supports a Fairer Protection Market
Discovering Our Talents: Turning Adversity into Purpose through the GAME Plan
In the Academy of Life Planning’s GAME Plan—Goals, Actions, Means, Execution—the Talents session plays a pivotal role in the “Goals” stage. It follows the Personal Values Assessment, where individuals explore “Who I Am.” In Talents we explore, “Why I’m Here.” Together, these form the cornerstone of authentic living and purposeful planning. The Talents session answers … Continue reading Discovering Our Talents: Turning Adversity into Purpose through the GAME Plan
Your Money or Your Life: The Hidden Cost of “Protection”
Unmasking the Commission Trap in the Pure Protection Market 🕯️ For every client mis-sold a promise. For every policy that failed when it mattered most. This one’s for you. 🔍 The Injustice Unmasked They call it “protection”. But protection from what—and for whom? The Financial Conduct Authority just opened a formal market study into how … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: The Hidden Cost of “Protection”
Finding Happiness: What the Gallup Report Tells Us About a Better Life
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning What does it really mean to live a happy life? Each year, the World Happiness Report offers fresh insights backed by rigorous global data. The 2025 edition, recently released by the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, places … Continue reading Finding Happiness: What the Gallup Report Tells Us About a Better Life
Restoring the Soul of Psychotherapy: A Conversation with Andrew Hartz of the Open Therapy Institute
In a recent episode of Calm Conversations, Benjamin Boyce sat down with psychologist Dr. Andrew Hartz, founder of the Open Therapy Institute (OTI), for an enlightening discussion that went far beyond the surface of psychotherapy. They explored the gaps in modern mental health care, the secularisation of soul work, and the urgent need for a … Continue reading Restoring the Soul of Psychotherapy: A Conversation with Andrew Hartz of the Open Therapy Institute
Why Holistic Wealth Planning Is the Ultimate Gen Z Career Opportunity
By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning “The industry teaches about products instead of people.”It’s a statement that reflects a seismic shift already underway in financial services—one being led by Gen Z. A generation that won’t settle for less than meaning, autonomy, and impact in their careers. ‘Financial planning is dying’ - … Continue reading Why Holistic Wealth Planning Is the Ultimate Gen Z Career Opportunity
Spiritual Wellbeing in the World Happiness Report 2025
While not a central focus, the World Happiness Report 2025 acknowledges spiritual wellbeing as an important dimension of human flourishing. The Global Flourishing Study (GFS) dataset—used in the report—includes measures of spirituality and religion alongside health, psychological, and economic variables. Additionally, referenced studies highlight how spiritual capital is linked to life satisfaction, particularly among volunteers, … Continue reading Spiritual Wellbeing in the World Happiness Report 2025
Consumer Duty and the Evolution of Ongoing Financial Services: Meeting Clients Where They Are
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning The FCA’s Consumer Duty is reshaping financial services, prompting firms to reassess the value and suitability of their ongoing service propositions. What we're witnessing is a healthy shift: providers proactively contacting clients to adjust or even downgrade services they’re not using—before the regulator forces their hand. It's … Continue reading Consumer Duty and the Evolution of Ongoing Financial Services: Meeting Clients Where They Are
Your Money or Your Life: The Weak Pay While the Mighty Play
For the sick, the poor, and the betrayed. You are not invisible. You are not alone. While Britain’s most vulnerable are told to tighten their belts, a very different message is being whispered in Whitehall’s corridors: bend the knee to the tech giants—Trump demands it. Yes, that Trump. Back in power and back to business—this … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: The Weak Pay While the Mighty Play
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