By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning29 May 2025 “It’s surprising that a firm embroiled in legacy QROPS servicing under a now-absconded fraudster is being allowed to scale without apparent accountability or public regulatory comment.” That may be an understatement. This week, Mattioli Woods announced its merger with Kingswood Group, creating a £25 billion financial … Continue reading Scaling Without Scrutiny: Why We Must Question the Mattioli Woods Merger
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When Silence is Complicity: The Institutional Refusal to Confront Financial Crime
By Steve Conley Founder, Academy of Life Planning | Advocate for Financial Justice Across the Isle of Man and Malta, a disturbing pattern has emerged—one that undermines public trust, discredits regulatory systems, and leaves thousands of victims in the wake of financial devastation. The pattern is this: credible, corroborated claims of financial crime are being … Continue reading When Silence is Complicity: The Institutional Refusal to Confront Financial Crime
The Door Slammed Shut: When the Regulator Fails the Victim
By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning Imagine this: You work your whole life, build a nest egg, and entrust it to what you believe is a legitimate, regulated pension scheme. Then it vanishes—offshore, unauthorised, untraceable. And when you reach out to the UK’s financial regulator for help, they not only deflect responsibility but … Continue reading The Door Slammed Shut: When the Regulator Fails the Victim
When Transparency Threatens Profit: The Ethics of Scrip Dividend Optimisation
Every year, over $1 billion in shareholder value quietly vanishes from the global financial system—not through fraud or error, but through inertia, complexity, and silent inefficiencies in corporate actions. This is particularly true in scrip dividends, where shareholders are given the option to receive either cash or shares. The tragedy? In most cases, the stock … Continue reading When Transparency Threatens Profit: The Ethics of Scrip Dividend Optimisation
The Trustworthy Adviser in a Rigged System: A Soul-Led Rebellion
Fifteen years ago, as Head of Investments at HSBC, I had already delivered six market firsts and six market leader positions. But none of that mattered when I entered the next “season” of my career. The slate was wiped clean. “We want bigger and better,” they said. It was clear: results didn’t matter if they … Continue reading The Trustworthy Adviser in a Rigged System: A Soul-Led Rebellion
From Down Under to the FTSE: SJP Practice Valuations Echo AMP’s Collapse
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning The latest revelations in FT adviser about St. James’s Place (SJP) practice valuations bring into sharp focus the vulnerability of advisers operating under vertically integrated models. The reported 45% drop in practice values within SJP’s internal Business Sale and Purchase (BSP) scheme mirrors what happened at AMP in … Continue reading From Down Under to the FTSE: SJP Practice Valuations Echo AMP’s Collapse
In Defence of AI: A Vital Ally in Life Planning, Justice, and Empowerment
By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning | Get SAFE | M-POWER We live in a time when machines can compose essays, write poetry, and even simulate empathy. For some, this stirs concern. Commentators like The Times’ James Marriott suggest society is becoming too comfortable with “artificial” support—preferring predictable algorithms over unpredictable humans. But for … Continue reading In Defence of AI: A Vital Ally in Life Planning, Justice, and Empowerment
Your Money or Your Life: When Growth Becomes a Weapon
For the regulators who were meant to serve the people—and now serve the City. They say it’s about growth. They say it’s about investment. They say it’s about helping the UK "compete." But here’s the truth they won’t say out loud: It’s about control.It’s about profit.And it’s about keeping you in your place. This week, … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: When Growth Becomes a Weapon
The Shadow Network: deVere, Wilton, and the Gaming of the UK Pension System
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning In the unfolding scandal of UK pension mismanagement, few names appear as frequently, and with such unsettling consistency, as deVere Group and its founder, Nigel Green. While headlines have focused heavily on QROPS abuse, what is now becoming evident is that Green's and deVere’s influence extends far beyond … Continue reading The Shadow Network: deVere, Wilton, and the Gaming of the UK Pension System
QROPS Abuse from 2006 to 2025: Scope, Failures, and Case Studies
Introduction and Background Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS) were introduced in April 2006 to allow UK pension holders emigrating or retiring abroad to transfer their pensions to an overseas scheme. The intent was to comply with EU free movement of capital rules and to simplify pension portability for expats bbc.com. In practice, QROPS quickly … Continue reading QROPS Abuse from 2006 to 2025: Scope, Failures, and Case Studies
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