By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning When people complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), they expect justice. What they often get is delay, denial, and deflection. For years, the FOS has been wrongly portrayed as the final word on consumer financial complaints, when in truth, its authority is both limited and misrepresented. Drawing … Continue reading Core Myths of the FOS: Exposing the Truth Behind the Financial Ombudsman Service →

The financial advice industry is at a tipping point. As artificial intelligence (AI) automates technical knowledge and routine processes, traditional advisers face an existential question: What is their real value to the client? According to Ian McKenna, founder of the Financial Technology Research Centre, the days of advisers acting as the “gatekeepers of knowledge” are … Continue reading Why the Rise of AI and Psychology in Financial Advice is a Game Changer for Holistic Wealth Planners →

By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning | Transparency Task Force Contributor On a sobering yet inspiring evening in May 2025, the Transparency Task Force (TTF) convened a timely seminar addressing one of the most urgent but underexamined questions of our time:Is the UK’s financial sector systemically corrupt? 🔍 Corruption in Pinstripes TTF founder Andy … Continue reading 💡 Misselling Is Corruption: Why Sector-Based Reform Must Start With Financial Services →

When a UK regulatory body like the FCA, HMRC, or ICO announces a headline-grabbing fine against a corporation for wrongdoing, the public is meant to feel a sense of justice served. But for victims of financial misconduct, these penalties rarely bring closure — let alone compensation. A critical question was raised in recent correspondence: "When … Continue reading Justice Denied: How Regulatory Fines Fail Victims While Protecting the System →

Unmasking the Highway Robbers of Justice They tell you there's a system for redress.They tell you it's fair.They tell you the regulators are on your side. But here’s the truth: Justice isn’t just delayed—it’s monetised. And behind every postponed payout, every ignored complaint, every procedural dead-end is someone cashing in on your silence, your confusion, … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: Who Profits When Redress Is Delayed? →

When Legal Process Becomes a Legal Obstacle Behind the polished veneer of consumer protection in the UK’s financial services sector lies a procedural trapdoor—DISP 3.3.4 of the FCA Handbook. At first glance, this rule appears rational: it allows the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to dismiss complaints without investigating the merits if they fall outside defined … Continue reading DISP 3.3.4: The Rule That Silences Justice? →

In a democratic society, access to information is a cornerstone of transparency and accountability. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) was introduced in the UK to uphold that principle—granting the public the right to access recorded information held by public authorities. But like many well-intended laws, the FOIA has limitations that can create confusion, … Continue reading Understanding FOIA: Your Right to Know—Within Limits →

In the shadows of Britain’s financial system, a troubling pattern has emerged — one that quietly drains public trust and taxpayer funds alike. This isn’t just about failed pensions or inflated card fees. It’s about a conveyor belt of financial abuse that hides behind the appearance of regulation. When wrongdoing surfaces, rather than being met … Continue reading A Culture of Obstruction: How Your Money Is Used to Delay Justice →

By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning & Ambassador of the Transparency Task Force What happens when a financial firm mistreats its clients, loses a complaint at the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), and is ordered to pay redress? Simple: they pay up and fix the harm. Right? Wrong. In today’s UK financial … Continue reading How Justice Is Bought and Buried: The Scandal Behind Unpaid Compensation and Silent Acquisitions →