It’s time we debunk one of the longest-running myths in financial services: that advisers manage your investments. The reality today? Investments manage themselves. Whether you access investments through an adviser or go direct, you’re typically ending up in low-cost, globally diversified, auto-rebalancing funds designed to maximise your return for a given level of risk. Take … Continue reading Financial Advisers Don’t Manage Investments—Investments Manage Themselves →

A recent article in Money Marketing took aim at so-called "unregulated advisers," lumping together financial coaches, finfluencers, and other professionals operating outside the FCA’s regulatory perimeter. The commentator suggested these individuals pose a serious threat to consumer protection, implying that their activities are inherently riskier than those of FCA-regulated advisers. This argument is, at best, … Continue reading Misplaced Criticism: Why the Focus on ‘Unregulated’ Advisers Misses the Real Risk →

Industry commentators love to wring their hands over the plight of disadvantaged groups reaching retirement with tiny pension pots. Recent headlines tell us some people in the UK are retiring with just £3,650 in private pensions. Predictably, the "solutions" always seem to involve giving these same industry commentators more of people’s hard-earned money—expanding auto-enrolment, lowering … Continue reading Rethinking Retirement: Why Human Capital Strategies Matter More Than Ever →

Lessons Learned: Civil Litigation Against Banks 1. Class Actions Are a Vital Tool—but Their Limits Are Clear. The Mastercard CAT case demonstrated that mass claims can get off the ground—something unthinkable 10 years ago—but also that proving causation, pass-on, and quantum remains a technical minefield. Even with a binding infringement decision (the EU ruling against … Continue reading The Mastercard £19 Billion Class Action at the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) →

Let’s be honest. Compliance headaches? Mounting regulatory pressures? Shrinking net profits? Many of you entered this profession to help people, not to drown in red tape. Yet, today, the very system meant to uphold integrity is squeezing the joy—and the viability—out of your work. What if you could still do financial planning—but without the FCA … Continue reading Financial Planners: Is It Time to De-Stress Outside the Perimeter? →

By Steve Conley In recent months, we’ve witnessed the unfolding of what is set to be the most expensive legal battle in Isle of Man history—a £270 million class action involving 1,600 claimants against Utmost International and Friends Provident International (FPI). The claimants allege serious wrongdoing, including undisclosed commissions, breaches of fiduciary duty, and unlawful … Continue reading Justice Denied? The Isle of Man’s Accountability Gap and a £270 Million Question →

Rising Crypto Scam Incidents and Fraud Tactics Cryptocurrency investment fraud has surged in recent years, with UK retail investors increasingly targeted. Action Fraud (the national fraud reporting center) recorded 7,118 reports of crypto fraud in the first nine months of 2021 alone. Losses in 2021 reached £146.2 million – about 30% higher than the total … Continue reading Extent of Crypto Scams and Losses Among UK Retail Investors →

Thousands of UK pensioners, including victims of the now-infamous John Pye financial scam, are still fighting for justice. These individuals—honest, hard-working savers—trusted the system to safeguard their retirement funds. Instead, they were led into a labyrinth of fraud, mismanagement, and institutional cover-up that continues to this day. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), alongside other UK … Continue reading Pensions Betrayed: The Scandal the Regulators Don’t Want You to See →

By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning The recent announcement of £5 billion in benefit cuts has left many wondering how they will cope. As the political debate swirls—over whether these cuts are too much, too little, or just fiscal tinkering—thousands of individuals and families are now bracing for real financial hardship. At the Academy … Continue reading Beyond Benefits: How the GAME Plan and Turn2us Can Empower People Hit by Welfare Cuts →

By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning As the UK grapples with rising migration numbers and a surge in welfare claims—passing £1 billion for refugee households in 2024 alone—the public discourse is predictably focused on costs, border control, and legal frameworks. Yet beneath the headlines lies a deeper question: are we approaching this challenge in … Continue reading From Welfare to Wealth: How the GAME Plan Can Empower Migrants to Build New Lives in the UK →