For over 20 years, we’ve been trying to fix financial outcomes with education.It hasn’t worked. That’s not a criticism.It’s now being acknowledged at the highest levels of policy and regulation. At a recent European conference on Investor Trust & Confidence,Alexandra Jour-Schroeder, Deputy Director-General for Financial Stability, outlined the European Commission’s strategy: Build financial capability Restore … Continue reading Financial Literacy Has Failed. Here’s What Comes Next.
Category: Money & Everyday Decisions
Pensions, saving, budgeting, investing and everyday financial understanding and choices.
The Pension Gap Panic: Why Gen X Is Being Scared About Retirement — and Why the Story Is Incomplete
Half of Gen X savers now say they fear running out of money in retirement. That statistic has been widely reported across financial media. But something important is missing from the conversation. The narrative assumes that retirement security depends almost entirely on financial capital — the size of your pension pot. For millions of people … Continue reading The Pension Gap Panic: Why Gen X Is Being Scared About Retirement — and Why the Story Is Incomplete
Could Raising Pension Contributions Make Working-Age Poverty Worse?
There is a growing chorus of voices calling for higher auto-enrolment pension contributions in the UK. A recent survey reported that 43% of business leaders support increasing contributions, with many arguing that workers simply are not saving enough for retirement. At first glance, that sounds responsible.Who wouldn’t want people to have more money in later … Continue reading Could Raising Pension Contributions Make Working-Age Poverty Worse?
Claude Can Now Draft a Lifetime Cashflow Forecast, for Free!
What that means for client agency — and the future of “advice” in 2026 A quiet line has just been crossed. For decades, a lifetime cashflow forecast has been positioned as something you need software for… and often need a professional to operate. In 2026, that’s no longer true. With a general-purpose AI tool like … Continue reading Claude Can Now Draft a Lifetime Cashflow Forecast, for Free!
AI Cash-Flow Planning vs Traditional Lifetime Cash-Flow Tools
A reflection for planners navigating what comes next For decades, lifetime cash-flow planning tools have played a central role in professional financial planning. They brought structure, consistency, and a sense of rigour to conversations about the future. Many advisers built their confidence — and their practices — around them. So it’s understandable that the emergence … Continue reading AI Cash-Flow Planning vs Traditional Lifetime Cash-Flow Tools
🧭 Auto-Enrolment’s Hidden Crisis: 10 Million Dormant Pots and the Price of Passive Saving
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning “When systems are built on inertia, they collapse under disengagement.” New data released under a Freedom of Information request has revealed a shocking truth:Less than one-third of Nest’s 13.7 million members are paying into their pensions.That means nearly 10 million workers—almost half the UK workforce—have abandoned their pension … Continue reading 🧭 Auto-Enrolment’s Hidden Crisis: 10 Million Dormant Pots and the Price of Passive Saving
2026: The Extinction of Lifetime Cashflow Modeller Businesses
2026 will mark the end of an era for lifetime cashflow modelling software — and possibly for many advisers who depend on it. We’ve seen them all: Voyant, Timeline, Prestwood Truth, CashCalc — once considered cutting-edge tools for financial planning. These systems were designed to help advisers demonstrate value and justify asset-based fees by answering … Continue reading 2026: The Extinction of Lifetime Cashflow Modeller Businesses
Factoring Inheritance into Your Lifetime Cashflow Plan: The Risks and Alternatives
Many of us dream of reaching significant milestones, whether it's buying a home, starting a business, or planning that long-awaited adventure. In recent years, some have come to rely on the idea of an inheritance to help fund these major life events. But while it can be tempting to factor in an expected windfall into … Continue reading Factoring Inheritance into Your Lifetime Cashflow Plan: The Risks and Alternatives
