Why experienced financial advisers should plan their transition from asset-based remuneration while they still have the clients, relationships and choices to make it work. Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning | 8 November 2026 You've spent your career helping clients plan their retirement. But have you planned your own? Not simply when you will … Continue reading Retire from Regulated to Independent Financial Planning, Before AI Retires You
Category: Independent Financial Planning
Life-centred financial planning independent of asset management, product distribution and intermediation incentives.
Beyond Financial Capital: Why Independent Financial Planning Must Account for Human Capital
An academic examination of human capital, human capabilities and their implications for independent financial planning Steve Conley, Chartered Financial PlannerFounder, Academy of Life Planning7 November 2026 Abstract Conventional financial planning places considerable emphasis on the accumulation, allocation and preservation of financial assets. Yet economic research consistently identifies human capital as a fundamental contributor to productivity, … Continue reading Beyond Financial Capital: Why Independent Financial Planning Must Account for Human Capital
Independent Financial Planning: Independent of What?
The financial services industry defines independence by the products an adviser can recommend. I believe genuine independence begins somewhere else. By Steve Conley | Founder, Academy of Life Planning What does it mean to be independent? It sounds like a straightforward question. If you employ an independent financial adviser, you might reasonably expect someone who … Continue reading Independent Financial Planning: Independent of What?
Human Capital and the Future of Independent Financial Planning
Human Capital and the Future of Independent Financial Planning Why financial planners who do not manage financial assets should place human capability at the centre of their professional practice Academy of Life Planning | Research and Professional Practice Abstract Financial planning has traditionally concentrated on the accumulation, preservation and distribution of financial capital. However, economic … Continue reading Human Capital and the Future of Independent Financial Planning
Financial planning without asset hoovering: why AI changes the economics
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning | 4 November 2026 What if you could buy financial planning without agreeing to move your investments? What if the price reflected the help you needed, rather than how much money you had? And what if the person helping you had a reason to make you more … Continue reading Financial planning without asset hoovering: why AI changes the economics
When a Professional Body No Longer Recognises the Profession
The Personal Finance Society is losing members. Is retirement really the whole explanation—or is it suffering from a growing relevance deficit? The Personal Finance Society has lost almost 2,000 members in a year. According to its 2025 Annual Report, membership fell from 38,703 to 36,807—a decline of 4.9%. Membership revenue fell from £7.66 million to … Continue reading When a Professional Body No Longer Recognises the Profession
Raising the Standard for Non-Intermediating Financial Planning
If financial planning is to become independent of product intermediation, it must become more accountable — not less There is a saying often attributed to Gandhi: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” There is no reliable evidence that Gandhi actually said it. But the sentiment … Continue reading Raising the Standard for Non-Intermediating Financial Planning
Planner Story No. 1: The Financial Adviser Who Discovered Clients Would Pay to Become More Capable
Planner Story No. 1 The Financial Adviser Who Discovered Clients Would Pay to Become More Capable After more than twenty years in financial advice, Mushtaq Jaigirdar faced a question many experienced advisers quietly carry: would people still value his expertise if it was no longer attached to products, portfolios or permanent dependency? The breakthrough did … Continue reading Planner Story No. 1: The Financial Adviser Who Discovered Clients Would Pay to Become More Capable
The Pipeline Question: Are We Building a Profession—or Feeding a System?
By Steve Conley In April 2026, the Personal Finance Society (PFS) announced that it had achieved a significant milestone: more than 500 new entrants recruited into its Pathway to the Profession initiative. Backed by a £1 million investment from PFS, the programme has been positioned as a bold step forward—lowering barriers to entry, widening participation, … Continue reading The Pipeline Question: Are We Building a Profession—or Feeding a System?
2026: The Year Financial Planners Either Step Forward… or Step Aside
There are moments in an industry’s history where change is gradual.And then there are moments where it is sudden, structural, and irreversible. 2026 is the latter. If you are a financial planner who has not yet engaged with the Academy of Life Planning this year, this is not a criticism. It is a signal. Because … Continue reading 2026: The Year Financial Planners Either Step Forward… or Step Aside
