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
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Crisis of Confidence at the PFS—and a Clearer Path Ahead
On 19th May 2025, the financial planning profession witnessed a pivotal moment. Two respected leaders, Daniel Williams and Ben Wright, resigned from the board of the Personal Finance Society (PFS). Their departures weren’t driven by policy differences or personal ambitions, but by a deeper disillusionment: a lack of independence, blurred governance, and an increasing disconnect … Continue reading Crisis of Confidence at the PFS—and a Clearer Path Ahead
The Hollowing of Responsibility: What McGilchrist’s Lectures Reveal About Institutional Failure in Financial Redress
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning In recent years, countless victims of financial harm have encountered a devastating pattern: institutions that once promised protection now offer only deflection. When the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) tells a victim to “contact the Slovakian regulator,” and that regulator says “only in person,” while HMRC claims “we only … Continue reading The Hollowing of Responsibility: What McGilchrist’s Lectures Reveal About Institutional Failure in Financial Redress
The Expanding UK Tax Gap: When Transparency Fails the Public Purse
By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning Introduction: A Hidden Cost to Us All The UK’s tax gap — officially measured at £36 billion by HMRC — is not just a dry economic statistic. It is the mirror to a deeper dysfunction in our regulatory and financial systems. Beneath the numbers lies a worrying reality: … Continue reading The Expanding UK Tax Gap: When Transparency Fails the Public Purse
Consolidation or Concealment? FCA-PSR Merger Raises Serious Questions Amid Mastercard Litigation and Financial Abuse Concerns
By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning | Member, Transparency Task Force The recent appointment of David Geale as Executive Director for Payments and Digital Finance at the FCA — and simultaneously as Managing Director of the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) — marks a significant shift in the UK’s financial regulatory framework. Geale’s role includes … Continue reading Consolidation or Concealment? FCA-PSR Merger Raises Serious Questions Amid Mastercard Litigation and Financial Abuse Concerns
Why Are Advisers Still Peddling the Secret Sauce in 2025?
In 2025, it is bewildering—if not infuriating—that financial advisers are still selling the myth of superior investment performance as their “value proposition.” Despite decades of academic evidence and a growing body of consumer experience pointing to the contrary, the illusion persists. And more troubling still, it is being tolerated—if not tacitly encouraged—by the very regulator … Continue reading Why Are Advisers Still Peddling the Secret Sauce in 2025?
When Regulators Enable Fraud: The Case of Gary and the QROPS Trap
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning What happens when you follow the rules—and the rules betray you? Gary, a British retiree, entrusted his pension to a government-approved scheme. He acted in good faith. He relied on approvals issued by UK authorities. And yet, he lost everything. His story is not unique. But it is … Continue reading When Regulators Enable Fraud: The Case of Gary and the QROPS Trap
Who’s Responsible? The Legal Duty to Prevent Pension Transfer Scams in the UK
In the wake of widespread pension transfer scandals—many involving unregulated overseas schemes and unqualified advisers—a fundamental legal question arises: who is responsible for ensuring pension transfer advice is lawful, regulated, and safe? This is not a hypothetical debate. Real victims have lost life savings. These cases expose regulatory cracks across the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), … Continue reading Who’s Responsible? The Legal Duty to Prevent Pension Transfer Scams in the UK
Your Money or Your Life: When a Growth Agenda Becomes a Wrecking Ball
In memory of every family business under siege.For every next-generation entrepreneur told there's no room left for you. They call it a growth agenda.They tell you they’re rebuilding Britain.They wave the flag of fiscal responsibility. But look closer. This isn’t a growth agenda—it’s a controlled demolition. Taxes are rising. Wealth is fleeing. Public finances are … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: When a Growth Agenda Becomes a Wrecking Ball
Guarding the Rule of Law in the Face of Financial Power: The UK’s Crossroads Moment
By Steve Conley Founder, Academy of Life Planning | Get SAFE | Transparency Task Force Ambassador In today’s political economy, the greatest threats to the rule of law often arise not from overt illegality, but from a deep entanglement between finance and state power—where policy is shaped less by democratic will and more by private … Continue reading Guarding the Rule of Law in the Face of Financial Power: The UK’s Crossroads Moment
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