A practical answer for advisers thinking about what comes next For many regulated advisers, the desire to step away from regulation isn’t ideological. It’s practical. Rising compliance burden Shrinking emotional bandwidth Clients who need thinking space, not products And a quiet question that won’t go away:“There must be a better way to do this.” Yet … Continue reading Can You Really Make a Living Outside Regulation?
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Why Human Capital Must Sit at the Heart of a Total Wealth Plan
What the evidence really tells planners at the bridge For many financial planners, the journey toward Total Wealth Planning begins with a quiet but uncomfortable realisation: “I’m excellent at modelling money — but that’s no longer where the real risk or opportunity sits.” This is not a philosophical concern. It is now an evidence-based one. … Continue reading Why Human Capital Must Sit at the Heart of a Total Wealth Plan
When You’re Desperate for Answers, the Rabbit Hole Can Look Like Rescue
A Get SAFE guide for people under financial threat If you are facing enforcement, eviction, debt, or court action, your nervous system is not in “research mode”. It is in survival mode. Your brain is scanning for certainty, control, and a way to make the threat stop. That is not weakness. That is biology. And … Continue reading When You’re Desperate for Answers, the Rabbit Hole Can Look Like Rescue
When the System Defends Itself
A survival guide for citizen advocates who can’t switch their minds off If you’re reading this at night, wide awake, replaying exchanges with regulators, professionals, or officials who seem calm while people are being harmed — you’re not alone. Many citizen advocates, Transparency Task Force members, and victim supporters describe the same experience: “I can’t … Continue reading When the System Defends Itself
FCA Client Categorisation: When “Out of Scope” Becomes a Second Harm
The article below raises serious concerns about proposed changes to FCA client categorisation rules — and from the Academy of Life Planning’s perspective, these concerns are not theoretical. [Article, Money Marketing 3rd February 2026: FCA client categorisation shake-up faces consumer backlash, Momodou Musa Touray] They are already playing out, quietly and repeatedly, in the real … Continue reading FCA Client Categorisation: When “Out of Scope” Becomes a Second Harm
Standing at the Bridge: Why Modern Financial Planning Must Learn to Stress-Test Lives, Not Just Markets
Many experienced financial planners find themselves standing at a bridge they didn’t set out to reach. They haven’t rejected financial planning.They haven’t “fallen out of love” with professionalism, rigour, or client care. Yet something feels increasingly misaligned. The tools still work — but the world they were built for no longer exists. Clients are more … Continue reading Standing at the Bridge: Why Modern Financial Planning Must Learn to Stress-Test Lives, Not Just Markets
Bitcoin, AI and the Repricing of Risk
What the latest market shock means for Total Wealth Planners — and the conversations clients now need Bitcoin price plunges to lowest since 2024 as investors pull out of crypto The recent, record-breaking one-day sell-off in Bitcoin wasn’t just another bout of crypto volatility. It was a signal event — one that reveals how quickly … Continue reading Bitcoin, AI and the Repricing of Risk
The AI Interface Shift: Why Method Beats Advice
(And why time is now your biggest risk) The financial planning profession isn’t being disrupted by better advice. It’s being displaced by a new interface. Increasingly, people don’t start with advisers, websites, or apps.They start with AI. They ask questions.They test ideas.They model scenarios.They explore options — instantly. This is not a future prediction.It’s a … Continue reading The AI Interface Shift: Why Method Beats Advice
Human Capital Is Not a “Soft” Concept. It’s the Missing Hard Evidence.
Most financial planners are trained to think in terms of financial capital: portfolios contribution rates withdrawal sustainability asset allocation But as many planners approach the bridge—that moment where traditional advice starts to feel incomplete—one question keeps resurfacing: Why do our models ignore the single biggest driver of long-term financial outcomes? Human capital. A major cross-country … Continue reading Human Capital Is Not a “Soft” Concept. It’s the Missing Hard Evidence.
Paraplanners at a Crossroads: If Not Adviser, Then What?
Recent research, from the Lang Cat in today's Money Marketing, shows a quiet but telling shift in the profession. Only 13% of paraplanners now see themselves becoming financial advisers — down from 24% just a year ago. The majority want to grow, contribute, and build meaningful careers, but not by stepping into a product-sales role. … Continue reading Paraplanners at a Crossroads: If Not Adviser, Then What?
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