The latest story out of the advice industry tells us everything we need to know about how the system really works. It’s not about clients. It’s about the enablers cutting deals among themselves—each side trying to see who can extract the most from the people they claim to serve. Citywire reports that True Potential is … Continue reading When the Enablers Eat Their Own: True Potential vs St James’s Place
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.
🌱 Introducing The Empowerment Cohort: Turning Human Capital into Sovereign Living
At the Academy of Life Planning, we’ve always believed that real wealth is not measured in money alone, but in human capital — our skills, passions, networks, creativity, and purpose. Yet too often, financial systems and even “planning” conversations strip people of agency, leaving them dependent, isolated, or defined by what they lack. It doesn’t … Continue reading 🌱 Introducing The Empowerment Cohort: Turning Human Capital into Sovereign Living
DIY Investors: Stop Listening to Moon Boys
All you DIY investors — it’s time to stop listening to the “moon boys” on TikTok and YouTube promising overnight riches. I might be a so-called TradFi Boomer, but I agree with the FCA on this one: keep it boring. Wealth is not created by gambling on the latest get-rich-quick scheme. Wealth is created, then … Continue reading DIY Investors: Stop Listening to Moon Boys
Why Now? Why It Makes No Sense to Delay Learning New Skills
“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is today.” As life planners, we are in the business of preparing people for the future. But there’s a danger: while we focus on helping our clients prepare, we sometimes forget to apply the same wisdom to ourselves. The study on … Continue reading Why Now? Why It Makes No Sense to Delay Learning New Skills
When Goliathon Meets the System: Can AI Be Trusted in the Fight for Justice?
Every tool humanity has ever invented has been double-edged.The printing press empowered ordinary people to read scripture and radical pamphlets — but it was also used to spread propaganda.The internet gave rise to grassroots organising — but also mass surveillance. And now, in our generation, the tool in question is AI. The Concern: Whose AI … Continue reading When Goliathon Meets the System: Can AI Be Trusted in the Fight for Justice?
A Different Path in Financial Planning: From Selling Products to Empowering People
Imagine you’re standing at a crossroads. One sign points toward the familiar road — a shiny brochure promising a profession, a pathway, a future in financial planning. It looks secure, respected, and even glamorous. But if you listen closely, you’ll hear echoes: stories of clients mis-sold products, of advisers trapped in sales targets, of trust … Continue reading A Different Path in Financial Planning: From Selling Products to Empowering People
The Car Finance Scandal: Kicking the Can, Thinning the Herd
The UK car finance scandal—£18 billion of redress hanging over lenders—has just taken another turn. Consumers hoping for swift justice may have to wait until 2026, as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) quietly confirms what many of us already knew: industry obstruction, regulatory compromise, and a system that puts growth above protection. What Nikhil Rathi … Continue reading The Car Finance Scandal: Kicking the Can, Thinning the Herd
Goliathon: The Battle Mech for Justice
Justice is under siege. Ordinary people are outmatched by systems designed to exhaust, confuse, and intimidate. When faced with bureaucracy, corporate power, or financial exploitation, the individual often feels like a lone foot soldier staring up at a towering machine. That’s why we built Goliathon—a battle mech designed for the citizens’ side of the fight. … Continue reading Goliathon: The Battle Mech for Justice
From Exploitation to Empowerment: Why Life Planning Needs a Revolution
Most people enter financial planning with the best intentions. They want to help clients live better lives, not just manage their money. But somewhere along the way, the system twists the purpose. You’re taught that the “business model” of planning depends on assets under management. You measure success by the size of your client’s pot … Continue reading From Exploitation to Empowerment: Why Life Planning Needs a Revolution
Why We Need to Step Into the Battle Mech Against the System
Yesterday, a mural appeared on the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Painted by the street artist Banksy, it depicted a chilling scene: a judge raising a gavel like a weapon over a fallen figure. Within hours, it was covered up. Art has always been a mirror to society — and this image was no … Continue reading Why We Need to Step Into the Battle Mech Against the System
Academy of Life Planning 