In today's increasingly complex financial landscape, it’s critical to remain vigilant. The recent findings from the LV= Wealth and Wellbeing Research Programme reveal a disturbing trend: around one in seven UK adults have been targeted by pension scammers over the past year. That's 7.3 million people facing the risk of losing their hard-earned life savings … Continue reading Never Trust a Stranger Who Asks About Your Life Savings: A Call to Action
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.
Keep Your Financial Asset Strategies Boring and Your Human Capital Strategies Exciting
In a world where financial markets are often chaotic, and the promise of quick gains is dangled in front of eager investors, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement. However, when it comes to your financial assets, the most effective strategy is often the least thrilling: keep it boring. On the other hand, … Continue reading Keep Your Financial Asset Strategies Boring and Your Human Capital Strategies Exciting
Squashing Simplified Advice: A Call for Real Consumer Empowerment
The financial industry, along with its regulators, has once again played a familiar game of mislabeling. The latest move involves branding what is essentially a product sale as "advice," a tactic that deliberately blurs the lines between genuine guidance and the promotion of regulated investments. This isn't just a matter of semantics; it’s a strategy … Continue reading Squashing Simplified Advice: A Call for Real Consumer Empowerment
The Dark Side of Financial Trust: A Parallel Between St James’s Place Practices and Coercive Manipulation
In the world of financial services, trust is the cornerstone of client-adviser relationships. However, recent revelations about practices at St James's Place (SJP) bring to light a disturbing parallel between financial exploitation and more insidious forms of coercive manipulation seen in other contexts, such as grooming gangs. While the comparison may seem stark, the underlying … Continue reading The Dark Side of Financial Trust: A Parallel Between St James’s Place Practices and Coercive Manipulation
The True Essence of a Life Plan: A Journey from False Self to True Self
A Life Plan is not merely a roadmap for achieving goals or transitioning from who you are today to who you wish to become tomorrow. Instead, it is a profound journey from the false self—the persona shaped by external expectations and societal norms—to the true self, the essence of who you authentically are. This journey … Continue reading The True Essence of a Life Plan: A Journey from False Self to True Self
The Real Solution to the Pension Crisis: Investing in Human Capital
As the UK faces an aging population with increasingly inadequate pension pots, it's clear that we need a mature and innovative conversation about addressing this looming crisis. Unfortunately, the so-called "experts" in positions of power often present unworkable solutions driven by conflicts of interest, ignoring obvious and sustainable strategies. The time has come to challenge … Continue reading The Real Solution to the Pension Crisis: Investing in Human Capital
Consumer Duty and the Great British Financial Farce
Ah, the financial services sector in the UK—a true marvel of modern capitalism. Despite the much-touted Consumer Duty regulation, which supposedly heralds a new era of customer-centric banking, most Brits would argue it's more of the same old circus, just with a shinier tent. According to a recent study by Edelman Smithfield, awareness of the … Continue reading Consumer Duty and the Great British Financial Farce
The Positive Psychological Benefits of Mindfulness Practice
In today's fast-paced world, finding methods to enhance well-being and manage stress is increasingly important. Among the various strategies available, mindfulness practice stands out for its profound positive psychological benefits. This article explores the integration of mindfulness into positive psychology, emphasizing their shared goals and distinct practices. Understanding Mindfulness Mindfulness is the practice of focusing … Continue reading The Positive Psychological Benefits of Mindfulness Practice
How Financial, Business, and Marketing Skills Training for Micro-Entrepreneurs Can Be a Real “Game Changer” in Eradicating World Poverty
Imagine a world where every street vendor, small shop owner, and local farmer isn't just scraping by but actually thriving. Sounds like a fairy tale, right? Well, not according to the London Business School, which is championing the revolutionary idea that upskilling micro-entrepreneurs can be the silver bullet for global poverty. Because, hey, if the … Continue reading How Financial, Business, and Marketing Skills Training for Micro-Entrepreneurs Can Be a Real “Game Changer” in Eradicating World Poverty
Mindfulness Takes Us to True Self, Where We Can Orchestrate Our Game Plan
In the fast-paced world we live in today, it is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of daily tasks, responsibilities, and distractions. Amidst this chaos, the quest for clarity, purpose, and inner peace often seems like an elusive dream. However, there is a powerful tool that can guide us towards our true self … Continue reading Mindfulness Takes Us to True Self, Where We Can Orchestrate Our Game Plan
Academy of Life Planning 