The Academy of Life Planning has reached an important point in its development. For many years, the Academy has built, tested and refined tools to help people plan their lives before their money. The language has evolved. The technology has improved. The delivery methods have changed. But the underlying purpose has remained steady. The mission … Continue reading Academy OS: An Ecosystem for Restoring Human Agency in the Age of AI
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 Advice Diaspora: Why the Future of Planning May Belong to Those Who Leave the Old System Behind
For years, the financial advice industry has told itself a comforting story. That story says the public needs advice because money is complex, regulation is difficult, products are technical, and ordinary people cannot be expected to make good decisions without professional guidance. There is some truth in that. Money decisions can be complex. Pensions, tax, … Continue reading The Advice Diaspora: Why the Future of Planning May Belong to Those Who Leave the Old System Behind
The Financial Advice Market Is Still Selling Dependency. Consumers Are Moving Towards Agency.
How should we understand the emerging shift from dependency to agency in the financial advice market, particularly as AI reduces information asymmetry and increases consumers’ ability to understand, model and challenge financial decisions for themselves? My working hypothesis is that the supply side of the market remains relatively rigid and anchored in the traditional dependency … Continue reading The Financial Advice Market Is Still Selling Dependency. Consumers Are Moving Towards Agency.
The Pie Gets Bigger. The Pieces Don’t Redistribute on Their Own.
There are two easy stories about AI and jobs. The first says everything will be fine. Technology makes work cheaper, the economy grows, people move into better roles, and the disruption eventually settles into progress. The second says the opposite. AI will wipe out millions of jobs, hollow out professions, and leave people stranded before … Continue reading The Pie Gets Bigger. The Pieces Don’t Redistribute on Their Own.
How can an adviser provide ongoing advice to someone who has died?
Following reports that the FCA has asked advice firms whether they continue to charge ongoing fees after a client has died, the central question is simple: what service is actually being provided, and to whom? Ongoing advice fees are only defensible where there is an ongoing service, such as suitability reviews or active support, and … Continue reading How can an adviser provide ongoing advice to someone who has died?
AoLP as an Agency-Restoration Ecosystem
How do we restore human agency in the age of AI and institutional power asymmetry? The defining question of the AI age may not be whether machines become more intelligent. It may be whether human beings become less capable of acting for themselves. For decades, individuals have lived with a growing power asymmetry between themselves … Continue reading AoLP as an Agency-Restoration Ecosystem
What Should I Do When I Get a Legal Demand Letter in the Post?
A legal demand letter can change the atmosphere in a home. One moment you are getting on with your day. The next, an envelope lands on the mat carrying unfamiliar words, formal deadlines, reference numbers, threats of action, and an amount of money you may or may not understand. For many people, the first reaction … Continue reading What Should I Do When I Get a Legal Demand Letter in the Post?
Total Wealth Planner™: For Capable People Who Want Clarity Without Handing Over Control
Most financially capable people manage their own money successfully. You pay the bills. You run the household. You make sensible choices. You understand your income, pensions, savings, mortgage, family responsibilities, and future hopes well enough to get through ordinary life. But some moments are not ordinary. Retirement. Pension drawdown. Inheritance. Tax. Divorce. Bereavement. Later-life planning. … Continue reading Total Wealth Planner™: For Capable People Who Want Clarity Without Handing Over Control
Get Secure Has Launched: The Bridge to Freedom for People Living with Financial Insecurity
Get Secure Has Launched: The Bridge to Freedom for People Living with Financial Insecurity Financial planning has a problem. The people who most need help navigating financial insecurity are often the people least likely to receive meaningful planning support. Not because they lack ability. Not because they lack potential. But because the traditional financial advice … Continue reading Get Secure Has Launched: The Bridge to Freedom for People Living with Financial Insecurity
AI Does Not Just Need a Pause. It Needs a Purpose: Restoring Human Agency Before Power Concentrates Beyond Reach
Anthropic, the company behind Claude, has reportedly called for the option of a global pause or slowdown in frontier AI development. Its argument is stark. If the development of more powerful AI systems could be slowed effectively, the world would have more time to understand and manage the consequences. The concern is not simply that … Continue reading AI Does Not Just Need a Pause. It Needs a Purpose: Restoring Human Agency Before Power Concentrates Beyond Reach
Academy of Life Planning 