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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“A Life Sentence Without Trial”: When Institutions Fail to Protect the Public
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning Across the UK and beyond, countless individuals have been left devastated by complex financial schemes that promised security but delivered ruin. For many, these weren’t speculative bets or risky ventures—they were pension transfers, recommended by regulated advisers, into vehicles that were supposedly safe, regulated, and compliant. Yet, when … Continue reading “A Life Sentence Without Trial”: When Institutions Fail to Protect the Public
The Watchdog Without Teeth: Why the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner Can’t Fix What’s Broken
By Steve Conley When financial regulators fail, where can the public turn? For many, the answer is the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner (FRCC)—the body set up to provide independent redress when the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), or Bank of England act unfairly or ineffectively. But as more victims of regulatory failure … Continue reading The Watchdog Without Teeth: Why the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner Can’t Fix What’s Broken
From Chaos to Coherence: Mapping the Fractal Soul with the GAME Plan
By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning In the dance of the cosmos, nothing is truly random. Life may appear messy, unpredictable — even chaotic. But look closely, and you’ll see the spiral of galaxies, the symmetry of shells, the rhythms of breath and season. Beneath the surface noise is a song — a … Continue reading From Chaos to Coherence: Mapping the Fractal Soul with the GAME Plan
The Hidden Cost of Advice: How Secret Commissions Are Still Draining Pensioners’ Funds
Have you ever wondered who’s really profiting from your pension? Behind the glossy brochures and reassuring conversations, a darker truth may be hiding in plain sight: secret commissions—undisclosed payments from your retirement savings to financial intermediaries—are still happening. And in many cases, these payments are made without your knowledge or consent. 🕵️♂️ What Are Secret … Continue reading The Hidden Cost of Advice: How Secret Commissions Are Still Draining Pensioners’ Funds
The Blame Game: How UK Regulators Are Failing Victims of Pension Fraud
When Responsibility Becomes a Hot Potato Victims of pension fraud—often robbed of their life savings and left emotionally scarred—expect at the very least one thing from the authorities: accountability. Instead, what they get is a game of regulatory pass-the-parcel. As exposed through recent correspondence shared by campaigners, victims who report fraud find themselves bounced between … Continue reading The Blame Game: How UK Regulators Are Failing Victims of Pension Fraud
How UK Regulators Became Silent Partners in a Decade of Pension Fraud
Why the FSCS, FCA, and Action Fraud must face public scrutiny for their failure to protect the people they serve For more than a decade, pension savers have been quietly robbed—of money, of trust, and of justice. Yet, the regulators charged with safeguarding them have not only failed to stop the fraud, they’ve arguably enabled … Continue reading How UK Regulators Became Silent Partners in a Decade of Pension Fraud
Our Pensions Are Not the Government’s Piggy Bank
Why the Mansion House Accord Smells Like Pension Mis-Selling on a Massive Scale Imagine if a regulated financial adviser recommended a client invest billions into high-risk, opaque assets—without a clear evidence base, performance history, or full disclosure of costs. They’d be hauled before the regulator. But when the government does it, it’s labelled a “growth … Continue reading Our Pensions Are Not the Government’s Piggy Bank
Broken Promises, Buried Truths: Where Is the Government’s Duty of Candour?
The UK government has officially missed its own deadline to introduce the long-promised Hillsborough Law, which includes a statutory duty of candour—a legal obligation for public officials to tell the truth during court proceedings and public inquiries. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had pledged to enact this legislation by 15 April 2025, marking the 36th anniversary … Continue reading Broken Promises, Buried Truths: Where Is the Government’s Duty of Candour?
Time for a U-Turn: Why We Must Police Finance, Not Deregulate It
By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning The UK government’s Mansion House reforms, dressed in the language of “growth,” are taking us down a dangerous road—a road paved not with prosperity, but with exploitation. Deregulating the financial industry, while cybercriminals and fraudsters prey on even our wealthiest citizens, is akin to dismantling fire stations during … Continue reading Time for a U-Turn: Why We Must Police Finance, Not Deregulate It
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