Rewiring the Financial Brain for the Age of Empowerment As Holistic Wealth Planners, we stand at the intersection of two revolutions: the technological awakening of intelligence and the spiritual awakening of consciousness. Few thinkers bridge those realms as elegantly as Danah Zohar — physicist, philosopher, and pioneer of Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) and Quantum Leadership. Her … Continue reading 🌞 What Holistic Wealth Planners Can Learn from Danah Zohar
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.
💡 The Best Investment I Ever Made Was in Myself
Why I walked away from millions — so others wouldn’t have to Fourteen years ago, I walked away from a six-figure banking career.At that point, I had led retail investment strategy for three of the UK’s five largest banks.On paper, I had everything: title, income, prestige, and comfort. But inside, I knew the truth — … Continue reading 💡 The Best Investment I Ever Made Was in Myself
🧠 Eight Lessons from Human Capital Theory for Holistic Wealth Planners
How education, purpose, and empowerment—not products—create enduring wealth “Wealth doesn’t come from what we own, but from what we know, how we grow, and who we become.” A 2018 study by Siriwan Saksiriruthai, Human Capital as a Determinant of Long-Term Economic Growth, offers a vital reminder for our profession: the real foundation of sustainable prosperity … Continue reading 🧠 Eight Lessons from Human Capital Theory for Holistic Wealth Planners
Closing the Philanthropy Gap: 10 Lessons for Holistic Wealth Planners
By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning “The measure of wealth is not what you keep, but what you set free.” Recent research from Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management has exposed a revealing truth about our industry.While 81% of high-net-worth (HNW) clients want advisers to raise the topic of philanthropy, only 33% have … Continue reading Closing the Philanthropy Gap: 10 Lessons for Holistic Wealth Planners
🧭 Who Owns the Intention?
The Hidden Divide Between Captured and Sovereign AI Across financial planning, a quiet revolution is taking place. Artificial intelligence is learning to listen, analyse, and even sound like us. It can explain pensions, model cashflows, and deliver answers in seconds. But beneath the surface of this technological leap lies a deeper question — who owns … Continue reading 🧭 Who Owns the Intention?
Why ChatGPT Users Aren’t the Industry’s Next Leads — They’re the Industry’s Successors
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning When St James’s Place AI lead Peter Ferguson recently told the Money Marketing conference that “people using ChatGPT for advice could be a good thing,” he was half right. Yes — it is a good thing.But not for the reason he imagines. Ferguson suggested that AI users … Continue reading Why ChatGPT Users Aren’t the Industry’s Next Leads — They’re the Industry’s Successors
Targeted Support or Targeted Sales? Who Really Benefits from the FCA’s ‘Radical’ Reform?
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning When Sarah Pritchard, Deputy CEO at the Financial Conduct Authority, called targeted support “revolutionary and quite radical,” she wasn’t wrong — but the revolution may not be the one consumers need. The FCA’s new targeted support framework promises to close the advice gap by allowing firms to … Continue reading Targeted Support or Targeted Sales? Who Really Benefits from the FCA’s ‘Radical’ Reform?
💡 Reclaiming the True Wealth of Nations: Lessons in Human Capital for Holistic Wealth Planners
“The wealth of a nation lies not in its gold, but in its people.” — Irving Fisher In 2020, a group of researchers from Riga Stradiņš University and al-Farabi Kazakh National University examined why developing countries struggle to turn human potential into human prosperity. Their findings read like a mirror to our work as Holistic … Continue reading 💡 Reclaiming the True Wealth of Nations: Lessons in Human Capital for Holistic Wealth Planners
🧭 10 Lessons for Holistic Wealth Planners from The Education Irony
“Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.”— Martin Luther King Jr. A new study, The Education Irony: When College Degrees Lead to Unemployment, Mindless Thinking, Debt, and Despair (Friedman, 2025), exposes a truth long felt across society — that conventional education is failing to prepare people for real life. Universities, once … Continue reading 🧭 10 Lessons for Holistic Wealth Planners from The Education Irony
🌍 Beyond Robo-Advice: How Life-First AI Can Redefine Wealth for Humanity
“If we train AI on product pipelines, it will entrench dependency.If we train it on human purpose, it will amplify sovereignty.” Artificial intelligence is transforming finance — but so far, it’s been trained to think like a salesperson, not a human being. Recent moves by big tech into financial advice (see below) signal a powerful … Continue reading 🌍 Beyond Robo-Advice: How Life-First AI Can Redefine Wealth for Humanity
Academy of Life Planning 