By Steve ConleyFounder — Academy of Life Planning For all the polished language surrounding targeted support, one stark truth remains: Targeted support is not advice. It is non-advised sales. And in principle, we have no issue with that.If a firm wants to sell products without a personal recommendation, that’s its prerogative.Advised sellers — those who … Continue reading Targeted Support: Why We Believe It Is Simply Non-Advised Sales — And Why That Matters for Consumers
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 AI Becomes a Weapon — and When It Becomes a Lifeline
A conversation with whistleblower Artur Nadolny One of the most revealing exchanges this week came from Artur Nadolny, whose long-running case exposes many of the quiet behaviours that lie beneath the surface of UK financial services. His observation cuts to the heart of the AI debate: “I already see signs in my own case of … Continue reading When AI Becomes a Weapon — and When It Becomes a Lifeline
Rebuilding Structural Integrity in Finance: Protecting Consumers Through Open AI, Independent Planning, and Systemic Reform
Written Testimony for the APPG on Investment Fraud & Fairer Financial ServicesSubmitted by: Steve Conley, Founder – Academy of Life Planning (AoLP) & Get SAFEDate: 13 November 2025 1. Background I am the Founder of the Academy of Life Planning (AoLP), an international network of non-intermediating Holistic Wealth Planners, and the Founder of Get SAFE … Continue reading Rebuilding Structural Integrity in Finance: Protecting Consumers Through Open AI, Independent Planning, and Systemic Reform
Why Independent AI Has Become the Most Important Tool in the Fight for Financial Justice
By John Galajsza — with contributions from APPG whistleblowers and campaigners Over the past year, we have seen something remarkable happening across the UK financial justice landscape. Victims, once isolated and overwhelmed by the complexity of their cases, are suddenly discovering the ability to analyse their own financial documents, reconstruct timelines, expose hidden liabilities, and … Continue reading Why Independent AI Has Become the Most Important Tool in the Fight for Financial Justice
Mind the Gap: A Day Inside Britain’s Financial Illusion — and the Quiet Resistance Rising Against It
Thursday 13 November 2025 will go down as one of the most revealing days of my career. It was a tale of two worlds. In the morning, I stood in the ExCeL Centre surrounded by more than 2,000 advisers at the PFS “Power” Conference — a rally called Mind the Gap. The message repeated all … Continue reading Mind the Gap: A Day Inside Britain’s Financial Illusion — and the Quiet Resistance Rising Against It
When Reputation Masquerades as Reform: The SJP “Evidence-Based” Illusion
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning, Author of "Your Money or Your Life: Unmask the highway robbers - enjoy wealth in every area of your life."12 November 2025 When Britain’s largest wealth manager, St. James’s Place (SJP), says it’s moving toward evidence-based investing, the financial press applauds.When Robin Powell — one of the UK’s … Continue reading When Reputation Masquerades as Reform: The SJP “Evidence-Based” Illusion
When “Alpha” Broke the Bank
In 2007, I was Head of Savings and Investments Strategy at RBS Group, based in the gleaming Gogarburn headquarters that symbolised the bank’s soaring ambition. I had just completed a five-year strategic plan designed to position RBS as a sustainable market leader — one that could combine profitability with prudence, and growth with genuine customer … Continue reading When “Alpha” Broke the Bank
Compensation Is Not a Gift — It’s Restitution
When a bank takes money that does not belong to it, returning that money is not generosity. It is justice. Compensation is simply giving back to consumers what was taken — no more, no less. Yet every time the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) dares to enforce redress, the same chorus rises from the banking sector: … Continue reading Compensation Is Not a Gift — It’s Restitution
From Victim Silence to Structural Trust: A Message to Financial Planners
I’m often told my framing of financial planners as either exploiting or empowering is too binary — and I understand why that can offend. It’s not meant to. If you’ve ever felt accused by my words, please know this: my frustration isn’t directed at you. It’s born from the voices I hear daily — people … Continue reading From Victim Silence to Structural Trust: A Message to Financial Planners
🌍 The Human Capital Multiplier: What Economists Now Confirm About Wealth and Well-being
A recent study by Andrés Erosa, Tatyana Koreshkova, and Diego Restuccia — “How Important Is Human Capital? A Quantitative Theory Assessment of World Income Inequality” — offers a powerful confirmation of what we at the Academy of Life Planning have been teaching for years: human capital is the true source of sustainable wealth. While traditional … Continue reading 🌍 The Human Capital Multiplier: What Economists Now Confirm About Wealth and Well-being
Academy of Life Planning 