Why Total Wealth Planners Don’t Need to Build Apps

For most of the past thirty years, financial planning technology followed a predictable pattern. If planners wanted to improve their service, they built software. Cashflow modelling tools.Retirement simulators.Tax planning calculators.Risk profiling engines. Every innovation in financial planning seemed to involve building another application. But that model is quietly becoming obsolete. Not because technology has disappeared. … Continue reading Why Total Wealth Planners Don’t Need to Build Apps →

The Asset Most People Forget: Why Human Capital Matters More Than Your Pension

When most people think about financial planning, they think about money. Savings.Investments.Pensions. But there is a far more powerful asset sitting quietly in the background of every financial life. You. Your skills, your health, your experience, your relationships, your creativity, and your ability to adapt. Economists call this human capital — and decades of research … Continue reading The Asset Most People Forget: Why Human Capital Matters More Than Your Pension →

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? →

Second Brain Session: Total Wealth Planner

A focused conversation for when financial decisions become complex The Second Brain Session is a private Zoom conversation with Steve Conley, Chartered Financial Planner and founder of the Academy of Life Planning. It is designed for thoughtful people who usually manage their own finances but occasionally want an experienced mind alongside them when an important … Continue reading Second Brain Session: Total Wealth Planner →

From Financial Planning to Total Wealth Planning

Why the Total Wealth Plan v5.5 is a global breakthrough For decades, financial planning has been built around one central idea: optimising investment portfolios. But when you look at how people actually build wealth, something becomes obvious. Investments are rarely the main driver. Most wealth comes from: • future earnings• career decisions• entrepreneurship• property• pensions• … Continue reading From Financial Planning to Total Wealth Planning →

How to Be Self-Directed with Retail Investments in the UK

A practical guide for the 90% of people who will never receive regulated investment advice In the UK today, more than 90% of people do not receive regulated financial advice. This is not because people do not need help.It is largely because the economics of retail advice firms make it impossible to serve most households. … Continue reading How to Be Self-Directed with Retail Investments in the UK →

Why Human Capital Must Become a Core Part of Financial Planning

The Missing Asset in Traditional Advice For decades, financial planning has been dominated by one assumption: that wealth primarily comes from financial capital—investments, pensions, property, and portfolios. But economists have long known that the largest asset most people possess is not financial capital at all. It is human capital. Human capital refers to the knowledge, … Continue reading Why Human Capital Must Become a Core Part of Financial Planning →

1,000 female advisers at St. James’s Place.

1,000 female advisers at St. James’s Place. That’s a milestone worth acknowledging. The financial advice profession has long struggled with gender imbalance, and bringing more diverse voices into the industry is unquestionably a positive step. But the announcement also arrives at a fascinating moment for wealth management. Across the sector, another conversation is unfolding. AI. … Continue reading 1,000 female advisers at St. James’s Place. →

If I Were a St. James’s Place Adviser, What Would I Be Thinking Right Now?

There has been a noticeable shift in the conversation around wealth management recently. We’ve seen a sell-off in wealth management stocks. Commentators are debating whether artificial intelligence will transform the industry. Veteran investors argue that AI will simply make advisers more efficient rather than replacing them. Maybe they are right. But if I were an … Continue reading If I Were a St. James’s Place Adviser, What Would I Be Thinking Right Now? →

Applied Institutional Economics for Personal Wealth

Conley, S. (2026).Applied Institutional Economics for Personal Wealth: The Case for Personal Wealth Governance.Academy of Life Planning. The Total Wealth Planning framework synthesises insights from institutional economics, behavioural economics, human capital theory, and decision science to develop a practical governance model for personal wealth. Why Wealth Governance Is the Missing Discipline in Financial Planning For … Continue reading Applied Institutional Economics for Personal Wealth →