Imagine a bank so powerful, so embedded in the system, that it repeatedly breaks the rules, misleads customers, and profits from harm—yet still survives. Now imagine the human cost: thousands of lives lost not just financially, but literally. This is the shocking thesis of The Killing Bank, a 2025 investigative report by Brian Hall, exposing … Continue reading 💥 The Killing Bank: When Financial Misconduct Turns Deadly →

Lisa King never imagined her life would become a cautionary tale about the devastating human cost of financial system failure. Yet today, from a hospital bed, she bravely shares her story—a story that challenges not just a bank’s policies, but its very conscience. A Life Turned Upside Down It started like any other life: a … Continue reading Lisa’s Story: “By Your Side?” – A Human Cost Too High →

When thinking about becoming a financial planner, most people picture regulated advisers selling investment products, pensions, and insurance. But what if you could build a rewarding professional career in financial planning without ever recommending or selling a financial product? That’s the key message my good friend Dave Robinson wanted to get across in a recent … Continue reading Financial Planning Without Product Sales: A Professional Path Less Travelled →

Introduction Depression is a prevalent mental health condition in Britain, and its burden has grown in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates of depressive symptoms surged during the pandemic and remain above pre-2020 levels commonslibrary.parliament.uk. Beyond personal suffering, depression imposes broad economic and social costs – affecting individuals’ quality of life, workplace productivity, public … Continue reading Depression in Post-COVID Britain: Prevalence, Impact, and the Protective Role of Purpose →

By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning In March, behind the closed doors of Downing Street, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the UK’s top regulators met to “cut red tape” in a bid to kickstart economic growth. But while they sharpen the scissors, thousands of families are drowning. Take just one case: 18,000 people trapped in … Continue reading Red Tape or Life Raft? Why Deregulation in Taxation and Trust Advice Is Sinking Families →

This week, a pivotal High Court hearing commenced in London, shining a harsh spotlight on Hartley Pensions Ltd, a failed Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) provider whose collapse has left around 17,000 pensioners uncertain about the safety of their retirement savings. The four-day hearing is more than a legal proceeding—it represents a critical test of the … Continue reading Hartley Pensions Court Case: 17,000 Pensioners Caught in Cross-Border Scandal Seek Justice →

They’re at it again. This week, the headlines screamed:“15 million people at risk of retirement poverty.” Cue the usual suspects: insurers, pensions providers, industry “experts” lining up to wag their fingers at the public.“You’re not saving enough.”“You need to give us more.”“You’ll be poor if you don’t pay up.” Sound familiar? Of course it does. … Continue reading “Retirement Poverty” or Fearmongering? Why They’re Lying to You About Old Age →

When financial professionals speak of unregulated investments, they’re often referring to products outside the scope of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) regulatory perimeter. But here’s the catch: just because an investment isn’t a collective investment scheme or doesn’t fall under FCA supervision doesn’t mean it exists in a lawless void. There’s an entire world of … Continue reading Beyond the Perimeter: Why ‘Unregulated’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Unregulated’ →