By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning For the first time since records began, the number of clients receiving ongoing financial advice in the UK has fallen.According to new FCA data, advisers switched off ongoing services for 335,286 clients in 2024, a dramatic spike from the previous year. Headlines attribute this to the Consumer Duty.But … Continue reading Fee-for-No-Service: The Hidden Consumer Duty Crisis — and the Rise of AI-Empowered Financial Planning
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.
🌍 When Systems Fail, People Rise: How a Community of Truth-Seekers Is Rewriting the Future of Justice and Financial Planning
“You can’t defeat Goliath with your mouth shut.” - Paul Moore Those words, spoken during a Transparency Task Force gathering this week, captured the heart of a powerful realisation:the institutions meant to protect the public are no longer capable of doing so — but the public is learning to protect itself. This event was more … Continue reading 🌍 When Systems Fail, People Rise: How a Community of Truth-Seekers Is Rewriting the Future of Justice and Financial Planning
When Two Stories Become One: What Lisa King’s Case Reveals About a Broken System — and Why Independent AI Is Now Essential for Justice
When Lisa King shared her husband Peter’s story, the room fell silent. It wasn’t just the grief. It wasn’t just the injustice.It was the shock of recognition. Because for thousands of families across the UK — including John’s family — Lisa’s story is not an isolated tragedy.It’s a pattern. A pattern of misconduct.A pattern of … Continue reading When Two Stories Become One: What Lisa King’s Case Reveals About a Broken System — and Why Independent AI Is Now Essential for Justice
AI, Evidence, and the Turning Tide: How Ordinary People Are Finally Winning Against Extraordinary Power
Some stories mark a shift in the landscape — and last night’s session delivered another one. John stood up and shared something remarkable. Just four weeks ago he was overwhelmed. Thirty-five years’ worth of paperwork, emails, and documents sat in boxes, impossible to decipher, impossible to articulate. He knew he was right, but like so … Continue reading AI, Evidence, and the Turning Tide: How Ordinary People Are Finally Winning Against Extraordinary Power
The Moore Doctrine: What HBOS Taught Us About Structural Untrustworthiness
By the Academy of Life Planning Paul Russell Moore (1958–2020) was the former Head of Group Regulatory Risk at HBOS and the whistleblower who warned, years before the 2008 crash, that the bank’s aggressive sales culture and weak controls posed a serious risk to customers and financial stability. For speaking up, he lost his job, … Continue reading The Moore Doctrine: What HBOS Taught Us About Structural Untrustworthiness
Will Agentic AI Absorb the Structural Untrustworthiness of the Auto-Finance Industry?
Reflections on the Hopcroft ruling, hidden commissions, and the future of AI-mediated consumer justice In the wake of the Hopcroft decision, the UK Supreme Court has delivered one of the most revealing judgments of our time:Credit brokers have no fiduciary duty. They may lawfully take bribes, conceal commissions, and place their own interest above the … Continue reading Will Agentic AI Absorb the Structural Untrustworthiness of the Auto-Finance Industry?
How Independent AI Helped a 94-Year-Old Woman Push Back Against Administrative Harm
This case study is published jointly by the Academy of Life Planning (AoLP) and Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation).All names and identifying details have been redacted. Background A 94-year-old woman (“Mrs G”) received an unexpected letter from a government department requesting proof of her “right to reside” in the UK — despite having lived … Continue reading How Independent AI Helped a 94-Year-Old Woman Push Back Against Administrative Harm
When the Exploiters Mech Up: How Citizen Investigators Can Spot It — and How to React
There’s a moment every survivor recognises. The moment when the organisation you trusted suddenly shifts gear.The tone hardens.The language becomes defensive.The documents start to “change.”And what should have been a straightforward conversation turns into a battle of attrition. That moment is when the exploiters mech up. It’s when institutions switch from customer service to fortification … Continue reading When the Exploiters Mech Up: How Citizen Investigators Can Spot It — and How to React
💡 The Future of Wealth Is Human: What Holistic Wealth Planners Must Learn from the Global Human-Capital Shift
“In an age where money is abundant but meaning is scarce, the greatest return on investment comes from the development of the human being.” For decades, financial services sold the illusion that prosperity came from products, portfolios, wrappers, platforms and performance.But beneath the surface, a quieter truth has been unfolding in economic research — a … Continue reading 💡 The Future of Wealth Is Human: What Holistic Wealth Planners Must Learn from the Global Human-Capital Shift
🔍 When Access to Justice Becomes a Luxury — AI Opens a Third Door
How Citizen-Led Intelligence Is Reshaping Complaint Resolution in UK Financial Services By Steve ConleyFounder, Get SAFE – Support After Financial ExploitationAcademy of Life Planning 1. When Justice Is Paywalled, The Vulnerable Disappear In 2013, the UK Government introduced fees for bringing Employment Tribunal claims. The result was devastating: Total claims fell 70%. Claims from the … Continue reading 🔍 When Access to Justice Becomes a Luxury — AI Opens a Third Door
Academy of Life Planning 