Category: Uncategorized

The Most Important AI Story Nobody Is Talking About

For months I've watched the public conversation about artificial intelligence with growing curiosity. Every week there seems to be another warning. AI will take jobs. AI hallucinates. AI creates misinformation. AI cannot be trusted. AI will replace professionals. AI will concentrate power. Some of these concerns are legitimate. Every transformative technology creates risks. But I … Continue reading The Most Important AI Story Nobody Is Talking About →

When Private Risk Becomes Public Risk: The Questions Behind Calls to Expand Government Loan Guarantees

The latest call from Britain's largest banks may sound like a straightforward proposal for economic growth. According to reports, major lenders are urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to significantly expand the Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS), a government-backed lending programme designed to support small and medium-sized businesses. Under the current arrangement, loans can be protected by a … Continue reading When Private Risk Becomes Public Risk: The Questions Behind Calls to Expand Government Loan Guarantees →

AI Is Not the Problem. The Ownership of Agency Is.

AI Is Not the Problem. The Ownership of Agency Is. There is a strange tension emerging around artificial intelligence. When individuals use AI, suspicion follows. A long dash in a sentence becomes a clue.A polished image becomes “obviously AI.”A well-structured article becomes “too smooth.”A useful answer becomes “probably hallucinated.” The individual is warned to be … Continue reading AI Is Not the Problem. The Ownership of Agency Is. →

Former SJP partners hire lawyers to bring claim against advice giant

Group says advice company did not pay fair compensation for clients passed on to other appointed representatives, in case SJP describes as speculative. See Citywire article, 29 May 2026. The story centres on a growing dispute between former advisers of St. James's Place (SJP) and the firm's adviser network model. A group of former SJP … Continue reading Former SJP partners hire lawyers to bring claim against advice giant →

When Silence Speaks Louder Than Accountability

What constitutional silence means for thousands of harmed British citizens In recent years, an estimated 40,000 British expatriates have reportedly suffered losses approaching £10 billion through pension failures, offshore investment collapses, regulatory gaps, and unresolved financial disputes linked to Crown Dependencies and Crown-aligned jurisdictions. For many affected families, the financial loss has been devastating. But … Continue reading When Silence Speaks Louder Than Accountability →

The Academy of Life Planning: Restoring Human Agency in the Age of AI

The Academy of Life Planning: Restoring Human Agency in the Age of AI There are more than 55 million adults in the UK. There are more than 40,000 authorised financial services firms. Yet millions of people still feel overwhelmed, uncertain, unsupported, or excluded when making financial and life decisions. This is not simply an “advice … Continue reading The Academy of Life Planning: Restoring Human Agency in the Age of AI →

More Than a Million Young Britons Are Drifting. We Need to Talk About Agency.

More Than a Million Young Britons Are Drifting. We Need to Talk About Agency. By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning. Check out the free app at http://www.totalwealthplan.net. A deeply troubling reality emerged this week from a major government-backed review into youth inactivity in the UK. More than half of economically inactive young people have … Continue reading More Than a Million Young Britons Are Drifting. We Need to Talk About Agency. →

Advice Out. Agency In. Why the FCA’s ‘Two Hats’ Issue Is About to Reshape Financial Planning

Why the FCA “Two Hats” Problem Is About to Become One of the Biggest Strategic Issues in Financial Planning For years, the UK financial advice profession has operated within a relatively stable identity structure. You were either: an authorised firm, an appointed representative, or a regulated financial adviser operating under a regulated permissions framework. The … Continue reading Advice Out. Agency In. Why the FCA’s ‘Two Hats’ Issue Is About to Reshape Financial Planning →

Simplified Advice or Simplified Distribution?

Why the latest FCA “advice gap” narrative deserves closer inspection. By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning The financial services industry has once again discovered a crisis it now wishes to solve. This time, it is the “advice gap.” According to recent commentary surrounding the FCA’s consultation on simplifying pensions and investment advice rules, millions … Continue reading Simplified Advice or Simplified Distribution? →