AI adoption in financial services is being celebrated as a breakthrough in efficiency, compliance, and client experience. However, beneath the optimism lies a quieter, more consequential transformation: the fusion of automation with legacy industry assumptions. At face value, these discussions appear progressive — focused on productivity, human-AI collaboration, and ethical awareness. The rhetoric emphasises safety, … Continue reading ⚖️ Synthesis: The Subtle Convergence of AI Adoption and Industry Capture in Financial Planning
Author: Steve Conley
🌍 The Age of Empowerment: Building a Future Where People Train the Machines
“The river of humanity always finds its way to the sea — no matter how many rocks lie in its path.” The age of empowerment has begun. For centuries, power has flowed upwards — from people to institutions, from workers to shareholders, from communities to corporations. The financial system became the crown jewel of that … Continue reading 🌍 The Age of Empowerment: Building a Future Where People Train the Machines
Litigant in Person: How to Survive and Succeed When the System Leaves You on Your Own
By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning & Get SAFE “He who represents himself has a fool for a client.”— Abraham Lincoln Perhaps that was true in the 19th century.But in 2025, with AI, open knowledge, and solidarity between citizen investigators, that saying is being rewritten. ⚖️ A David vs Goliath Battle … Continue reading Litigant in Person: How to Survive and Succeed When the System Leaves You on Your Own
🚗 FCA Launches £11 Billion Redress Consultation for Mis-Sold Car Finance
What it means for UK consumers The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has opened consultation on a nationwide Motor Finance Consumer Redress Scheme — the largest compensation proposal since PPI.If approved, it could return £8.2 billion to drivers and cost lenders another £2.8 billion to administer. Why this matters Between 2007 and 2024, millions of UK … Continue reading 🚗 FCA Launches £11 Billion Redress Consultation for Mis-Sold Car Finance
🌍 The End of Extraction: Why Empowerment Is the Future of Financial Planning
The financial planning profession stands at a historic turning point. Recent research reveals that four in five wealth owners over 65 believe their children will not stay with their current adviser. The message couldn’t be clearer: the next generation doesn’t want intermediation — they want empowerment. They are digital natives who value transparency, control, and … Continue reading 🌍 The End of Extraction: Why Empowerment Is the Future of Financial Planning
⚖️ Why We Still Need Claims Management Companies: Protecting the Public in a Captured System
By Steve Conley, Founder – Academy of Life Planning The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced a new multi-agency crackdown on “misleading” advertising by claims management companies (CMCs) and certain law firms handling motor-finance cases. The initiative, coordinated with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), is … Continue reading ⚖️ Why We Still Need Claims Management Companies: Protecting the Public in a Captured System
🌍 The Future Financial Planner in the Age of Empowerment
Guided by Purpose, Powered by AI, Grounded in Humanity Every era redefines what it means to be “successful.”The last one celebrated accumulation — assets, awards, and authority.The next will celebrate alignment — purpose, autonomy, and integrity. The future financial planner stands at that threshold. 💡 From Control to Collaboration Yesterday’s planner built value through control: … Continue reading 🌍 The Future Financial Planner in the Age of Empowerment
🤖 The Future Financial Planner: Powered by AI, Guided by Conscience
The Age of Empowerment Has Already Begun Every technology that redistributes power is first dismissed as dangerous.Printing presses “spread heresy.”Radio “ruined conversation.”The internet “destroyed journalism.” Now, they say AI “produces drivel.” But what they really fear is democratisation. 💡 AI as the End of Information Asymmetry For centuries, financial systems have been built on a … Continue reading 🤖 The Future Financial Planner: Powered by AI, Guided by Conscience
🏛️ Aktivrente: A German Blueprint for Active Ageing — and Why the UK Should Follow
Germany’s “Aktivrente”: A Blueprint for Active Ageing the UK Can’t Afford to Ignore Germany’s 2026 Aktivrente will let pensioners earn €2,000/month tax-free. Steve Conley argues the UK should adopt a similar Active Pension Allowance to extend working lives, boost growth, and reduce fiscal strain. Germany has recognised a quiet revolution already underway: older people can, … Continue reading 🏛️ Aktivrente: A German Blueprint for Active Ageing — and Why the UK Should Follow
🔍 When the Regulator Loses Its Nerve
“Even where powers exist to intervene, the FCA frequently loses its bottle, preferring to pass the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service rather than confront major firms directly.” — Meridian Legal Services I wish this quote didn’t ring so true. After months of correspondence, Stripe has admitted that small-business funding on its FCA-regulated platform was … Continue reading 🔍 When the Regulator Loses Its Nerve
