Standard Life’s new flat-fee pension advice service is being framed as a breakthrough in accessibility — £1,000 for advice, £500 for an annual review, available to customers with £50,000+ DC pots. On the surface, this looks like progress. But beneath the headlines lies a deeper problem in how “advice” continues to be defined and delivered … Continue reading Standard Life launches affordable pension advice business: “Flat-Fee Advice or Flat-Out Missed the Point?”
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10 Lessons in Human Capital: Making Education, Mentorship, and Self-Development Part of the Family Balance Sheet
By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning 💡 Introduction: The Wealth We Overlook When most people think of a balance sheet, they see assets and liabilities — property, pensions, savings, and debt. Yet, according to global studies, over 80% of a nation’s true wealth lies not in its financial capital, but in … Continue reading 10 Lessons in Human Capital: Making Education, Mentorship, and Self-Development Part of the Family Balance Sheet
10 Lessons in Human Capital: Turning Obsolescence Risk into Opportunity
“The greatest difference between developed and underdeveloped societies is not money—but mind.”— Adapted from Latif Zeynalli, European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy (2020) In a world where technology evolves faster than we can adapt, the greatest risk we face is not financial loss — it’s human obsolescence. The World Bank estimates that 64% … Continue reading 10 Lessons in Human Capital: Turning Obsolescence Risk into Opportunity
🌍 What Holistic Wealth Planners Can Learn from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Evolving Wealth, Consciousness, and the Future of Humanity “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”— Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Few thinkers have captured the unity of science, spirituality, and human purpose as profoundly as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955) — Jesuit priest, palaeontologist, and visionary … Continue reading 🌍 What Holistic Wealth Planners Can Learn from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
🌞 What Holistic Wealth Planners Can Learn from Danah Zohar
Rewiring the Financial Brain for the Age of Empowerment As Holistic Wealth Planners, we stand at the intersection of two revolutions: the technological awakening of intelligence and the spiritual awakening of consciousness. Few thinkers bridge those realms as elegantly as Danah Zohar — physicist, philosopher, and pioneer of Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) and Quantum Leadership. Her … Continue reading 🌞 What Holistic Wealth Planners Can Learn from Danah Zohar
💡 The Best Investment I Ever Made Was in Myself
Why I walked away from millions — so others wouldn’t have to Fourteen years ago, I walked away from a six-figure banking career.At that point, I had led retail investment strategy for three of the UK’s five largest banks.On paper, I had everything: title, income, prestige, and comfort. But inside, I knew the truth — … Continue reading 💡 The Best Investment I Ever Made Was in Myself
🧠 Eight Lessons from Human Capital Theory for Holistic Wealth Planners
How education, purpose, and empowerment—not products—create enduring wealth “Wealth doesn’t come from what we own, but from what we know, how we grow, and who we become.” A 2018 study by Siriwan Saksiriruthai, Human Capital as a Determinant of Long-Term Economic Growth, offers a vital reminder for our profession: the real foundation of sustainable prosperity … Continue reading 🧠 Eight Lessons from Human Capital Theory for Holistic Wealth Planners
Closing the Philanthropy Gap: 10 Lessons for Holistic Wealth Planners
By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning “The measure of wealth is not what you keep, but what you set free.” Recent research from Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management has exposed a revealing truth about our industry.While 81% of high-net-worth (HNW) clients want advisers to raise the topic of philanthropy, only 33% have … Continue reading Closing the Philanthropy Gap: 10 Lessons for Holistic Wealth Planners
🧭 Who Owns the Intention?
The Hidden Divide Between Captured and Sovereign AI Across financial planning, a quiet revolution is taking place. Artificial intelligence is learning to listen, analyse, and even sound like us. It can explain pensions, model cashflows, and deliver answers in seconds. But beneath the surface of this technological leap lies a deeper question — who owns … Continue reading 🧭 Who Owns the Intention?
Why ChatGPT Users Aren’t the Industry’s Next Leads — They’re the Industry’s Successors
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning When St James’s Place AI lead Peter Ferguson recently told the Money Marketing conference that “people using ChatGPT for advice could be a good thing,” he was half right. Yes — it is a good thing.But not for the reason he imagines. Ferguson suggested that AI users … Continue reading Why ChatGPT Users Aren’t the Industry’s Next Leads — They’re the Industry’s Successors
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