Why Responsible Advisers Must Speak Up Bitcoin is lighting up red flags as it seeks entry into core investment portfolios. Let’s be clear: if an individual wants to speculate with a small satellite allocation, that’s their prerogative. But if I were a reputable product distributor, I wouldn’t want the liability of recommending Bitcoin as a … Continue reading 🦠 Is Bitcoin a Financial Virus?
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.
If Rachel Reeves Were a Financial Adviser, She’d Be Facing an FCA Misconduct Ruling
By Steve Conley | 25 July 2025 If a regulated financial adviser made the claims Rachel Reeves has just made about ISA returns, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) would likely uphold a complaint against them for misleading financial promotion. If not the FCA, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) would surely step in. But when it’s … Continue reading If Rachel Reeves Were a Financial Adviser, She’d Be Facing an FCA Misconduct Ruling
Whose Side Is Labour On? £60bn Car Finance Scandal Exposes City’s Grip on Government
By Steve Conley | 25 July 2025 In a move that would send shockwaves through any functioning democracy, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering overruling the UK Supreme Court to protect banks and car finance lenders from a £60 billion compensation bill—leaving millions of misled consumers out in the cold. This extraordinary development—revealed by The … Continue reading Whose Side Is Labour On? £60bn Car Finance Scandal Exposes City’s Grip on Government
💼 VAT and Financial Advice: Let’s Get Honest
“Advice is not exempt because it feels valuable. Exemption applies because the law says it does.” In the world of financial services, there’s a persistent (and often convenient) misunderstanding: that all financial advice is VAT-exempt. It isn’t. And it’s time we stopped pretending otherwise. As someone working to empower consumers and advisers alike through transparency … Continue reading 💼 VAT and Financial Advice: Let’s Get Honest
EXPOSÉ: The Evidence Is In — Britain’s Financial System Is Corrupt to the Core
“The system comes first, and the consumer comes last — this is the Age of Pisces in terminal decline.” By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life PlanningPublished July 25, 2025 🔥 Breaking: A Crumbling Edifice of Power and Collusion The veil has lifted. We now have undeniable, documented proof that every tier of the UK’s … Continue reading EXPOSÉ: The Evidence Is In — Britain’s Financial System Is Corrupt to the Core
💸 Advice Fees in Crisis: Why It’s Time to Ditch the Lazy Income Model
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life PlanningPublished July 2025 When financial advisers start worrying that clients can’t afford their fees, the industry faces more than just a commercial dilemma—it confronts a crisis of identity. As reported by Laura Purkess, advisers are increasingly watching clients—some earning over £100,000—struggle to pay ongoing advice fees. The gut … Continue reading 💸 Advice Fees in Crisis: Why It’s Time to Ditch the Lazy Income Model
Beyond the Growth Agenda: 86% Wealthy Brits Are Already Choosing Empowerment Over Extraction
A recent study reveals a telling statistic: 86% of UK adults with over £100,000 in investable assets are not using a financial adviser. That’s more than 16 million people, rejecting delegation and choosing empowerment. And yet, the financial establishment continues to frame this as a “missed opportunity” — not for the people, but for the … Continue reading Beyond the Growth Agenda: 86% Wealthy Brits Are Already Choosing Empowerment Over Extraction
🎲 The Roulette Table of Reform: We’re Still Paying for the Last Crisis
“When the music stops, in terms of liquidity, things will be complicated.” — Chuck Prince, Citigroup CEO, July 2007A month later, it stopped. We’re still dancing to the bill. We were told the bailouts were temporary. Emergency. Necessary.That the cost to the taxpayer would be recouped. That lessons had been learned. But here we are—17 … Continue reading 🎲 The Roulette Table of Reform: We’re Still Paying for the Last Crisis
Introducing the Goliathon: The People’s Weapon Against Financial Injustice
"Injustice thrives on confusion. Justice demands clarity." — The Goliathon Across the UK, thousands of individuals and small businesses have faced the crushing machinery of financial exploitation—coerced into personal guarantees, pressured into false defaults, stripped of their assets, and silenced by complexity and time-barred excuses. It’s time that changed. What Is the Goliathon? The Goliathon … Continue reading Introducing the Goliathon: The People’s Weapon Against Financial Injustice
Tipping Point: The Cracks Were Always There — And Change Is Coming
"First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. Then they fight you. Then you win."— Often attributed to Gandhi The Supreme Court’s decision this week to overturn the convictions of former City traders Tom Hayes and Carlo Palombo is more than a legal victory. It is a moment of reckoning. A tipping point. And for … Continue reading Tipping Point: The Cracks Were Always There — And Change Is Coming
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