Open comparison can expose the cost of distribution. Commercially captured AI can channel customers into it. By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning A recent Citywire headline announced Moneybox’s plans to roll out AI-led advice. With two million customers and £23 billion in assets under administration, the story promises an explanation of how the … Continue reading AI-led advice—or an AI-led route to your money?
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What is good for the City is not necessarily good for the country
When central bankers intervene in government spending choices, we should ask whose definition of prosperity is setting the limits. By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning An elected government prepares its Budget. The Governor of the Bank of England warns about credibility, rising spending and the possibility of another crisis. A newspaper invokes the … Continue reading What is good for the City is not necessarily good for the country
HSBC Is Doing It Again. This Time, There Is No Carve-Out.
HSBC Is Doing It Again. This Time, There Is No Carve-Out. The competitive pressure will spread through the banks. The change in customer demand will reach much further. By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning HSBC is doing it again. I was there when it announced its retail advice withdrawal in 2011. I argued … Continue reading HSBC Is Doing It Again. This Time, There Is No Carve-Out.
When the Rewards Flow Upwards, Why Does the Blame Flow Downwards?
Five overturned banking convictions raise a bigger question: who has the power to shape a system, and who carries the consequences when it fails? By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning8 October 2026 A prestigious employer. A respected job title. A career in the City. From the outside, these look like signs of security. … Continue reading When the Rewards Flow Upwards, Why Does the Blame Flow Downwards?
Clients have AI too. What happens to your business when they become more capable—and need less of what you currently sell?
Why Customer Operating Systems belong at the centre of the conversation about the future of financial planning. By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning Imagine your next prospective client arriving with their financial records organised, their objectives written down and several possible futures already explored. They have compared charges. Read the documents. Identified inconsistencies. … Continue reading Clients have AI too. What happens to your business when they become more capable—and need less of what you currently sell?
The wealth a balance sheet cannot show
Lessons on human capital for Total Wealth Planners By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning Two people can have the same savings and very different futures. One has skills people need, the health to use them and access to worthwhile opportunities. The other has equally valuable experience but is exhausted, caring for a relative or … Continue reading The wealth a balance sheet cannot show
HSBC’s adviser cuts: we have seen this before. This time, redesign the role.
AI creates an opportunity to combine continuous personal capability with episodic human expertise. Cutting advisers is only one possible response. By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning7 October 2026 Reading the news that HSBC could cut around 70% of its UK wealth financial advisers gave me a strong sense of déjà vu. Fifteen years … Continue reading HSBC’s adviser cuts: we have seen this before. This time, redesign the role.
Having money is one thing. Having a say is another.
Introducing the Academy’s new Financial Activation Scorecard You can have a pension, savings and a financial adviser—and still feel unsure what you own, why you own it or what to do next. You can also have very little money and be actively making decisions, asking useful questions and taking steps towards a life that matters … Continue reading Having money is one thing. Having a say is another.
What Is Freedom Worth If You Cannot Afford to Exercise It?
Why personal capability and a fairer economy belong in the same conversation. By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning We tell people to take responsibility for their lives. Save for the future. Develop their skills. Make better decisions. But what happens when someone makes careful decisions and still cannot afford a secure home? When … Continue reading What Is Freedom Worth If You Cannot Afford to Exercise It?
“I now know where I’m going”: early feedback on Get ICE
“I now know where I’m going”: early feedback on Get ICE There is a moment in planning when the question changes. You begin with “What am I going to do?” and find yourself asking “What shall I do first?” One of the first people to try Get ICE described that shift in a comment this … Continue reading “I now know where I’m going”: early feedback on Get ICE
