Why Removing Annual Suitability Risks Burying the UK’s Fee-for-No-Service Reckoning By Steve ConleyAcademy of Life Planning A trustworthy regulator does not erase the audit trail when the bill is about to fall due. A quiet proposal with loud consequences The Financial Conduct Authority is consulting on removing the requirement for annual suitability reviews for advisers, … Continue reading When Flexibility Becomes Forgetting: Removing Annual Suitability
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.
Leaving Eden: Not a Fall, but an Initiation
Why the Birth of Consciousness Was Never a Punishment By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning What if one of our most familiar stories has been quietly misunderstood—not out of malice, but out of fear? The story of Eden is often told as a moral failure: disobedience, punishment, exile. Yet across psychology, philosophy, and … Continue reading Leaving Eden: Not a Fall, but an Initiation
💉 “New Blood” or Old Habits? Why a £1 Million Recruitment Drive Risks Solving Yesterday’s Problem
Steve ConleyDecember 15, 2025 The Personal Finance Society (PFS) has recently announced that more than 400 people have expressed interest in its new Pathway to the Profession initiative — a £1 million recruitment campaign designed to attract and nurture new entrants into financial planning. On the surface, this is welcome news. A profession that genuinely … Continue reading 💉 “New Blood” or Old Habits? Why a £1 Million Recruitment Drive Risks Solving Yesterday’s Problem
Human Capital, Finology, and the Human-to-Human Economy
Extending the Vision of Financial Planning 3.0 “AI won’t replace planners. But planners who embrace AI — and truly understand human beings — will replace those who don’t.” Partha Iyengar recently left a comment on LinkedIn that stopped me in my tracks. He celebrated Human Capital and Human-to-Human Connections as the real drivers of progress … Continue reading Human Capital, Finology, and the Human-to-Human Economy
The Great Deregulation Deception: Why ‘Targeted Support’ Means Millions More Missold
Once again, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced a “game-changing” reform. This time, it’s called Targeted Support — a new licence allowing financial firms to give “tailored suggestions” without conducting a full assessment of the customer’s needs. The regulator claims this will help 18 million more people get financial advice. But let’s be clear: … Continue reading The Great Deregulation Deception: Why ‘Targeted Support’ Means Millions More Missold
Harvey vs Humanity: How Captured AI Is Rewriting Justice for Profit
When a global law firm like CMS announces it’s “staying ahead of the curve” by rolling out Suits-inspired Harvey AI, most of the legal press applauds the efficiency gains.But behind the headlines lies a more uncomfortable truth — one that strikes at the very heart of access to justice. ⚖️ The Rise of Captured AI … Continue reading Harvey vs Humanity: How Captured AI Is Rewriting Justice for Profit
The Green Dividend: Why Human Capital Is the New Renewable
“The energy of the future is not stored in batteries or barrels—it’s stored in people.” As the world races toward a green energy future, most conversations still orbit around technology: solar panels, wind turbines, hydrogen, and storage systems. Yet, according to a 2024 study published in Academia Green Energy, the true catalyst of the energy … Continue reading The Green Dividend: Why Human Capital Is the New Renewable
Human Capital: The Forgotten Foundation of Total Wealth – Part 2
“A society that invests in machines but neglects its people is not advancing—it is automating its own inequality.” For decades, financial planners and policymakers alike have placed their faith in education as the great equaliser. Build skills, gain qualifications, increase productivity—and wealth will follow.Yet new research reveals a disturbing paradox: in advanced economies, human capital … Continue reading Human Capital: The Forgotten Foundation of Total Wealth – Part 2
Human Capital: The Forgotten Foundation of Total Wealth
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning “Investment in human capital is not merely an economic act — it is a declaration of faith in humanity itself.” For generations, the financial world has been fixated on the growth of money — GDP, stock portfolios, property values — while quietly neglecting the deeper force that … Continue reading Human Capital: The Forgotten Foundation of Total Wealth
⚠️ Hidden Downgrade: When Banks Reclassify Your Home to Seize It Cheaply
⚠️ The Hidden Downgrade: How Banks Reclassify Your Home to Seize It Cheaply For nearly two decades, a quiet sleight of hand has been used across Britain’s mortgage and securitisation system — a tactic that converts good-quality, low-risk, residential loans into buy-to-let “junk” assets ripe for exploitation. We’ve identified and documented this pattern repeatedly through … Continue reading ⚠️ Hidden Downgrade: When Banks Reclassify Your Home to Seize It Cheaply
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