SEBI, India’s financial regulator, has made a bold and principled move: disentangling financial advice from product distribution. It ruled that Mutual Fund Distributors (MFDs) must not describe themselves as “financial advisers” or “planners” unless they’re formally registered as fee-only fiduciaries (RIAs). Why? Because doing so misleads the public, confuses roles, and masks conflicts of interest. … Continue reading 🧭 India Just Drew a Line — Should the UK Follow?
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🧊 Freezing at the Core: Why the FCA Targets Abroad While Ignoring the Fire at Home
This week, the FCA took centre stage with FT Adviser headlines declaring a global crackdown on “illegal finfluencers.” As part of a coordinated international effort, the regulator claims to have issued dozens of warnings, takedown requests, and cease-and-desist letters—heralding its commitment to protecting consumers from rogue financial promotions online. Yet, while the FCA polices Instagram … Continue reading 🧊 Freezing at the Core: Why the FCA Targets Abroad While Ignoring the Fire at Home
The Great Pension Heist: Are Our Retirement Savings Being Looted?
By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning "They say it's putting money in people’s pockets — but like the artful pickpocket, they’re actually taking it out." Today’s unveiling of the UK government’s Pension Schemes Bill has been lauded in headlines as a “game-changer,” a “blockbuster,” even a “revolution” for savers. But scratch beneath the surface … Continue reading The Great Pension Heist: Are Our Retirement Savings Being Looted?
“Zero Faith in the FCA”: The Human Cost of Regulatory Failure in the Basset & Gold Scandal
“Those three letters—FCA—make me feel physically sick.” This is the raw testimony of a retail investor, Mr N, who lost £120,000 to the failed mini-bond issuer Basset & Gold (B&G). His words lay bare a growing crisis in public trust—one not caused by market forces, but by systemic regulatory failure. This week as reported in … Continue reading “Zero Faith in the FCA”: The Human Cost of Regulatory Failure in the Basset & Gold Scandal
💣 The £4m SJP Lawsuit That Blows a Hole in the FCA’s ‘Growth Agenda’ Cover Story
Here’s your smoking gun. For those who’ve challenged me to produce evidence that the financial services industry is being propped up by falsified compliance records, hollow service claims, and regulator complicity—read on. A High Court dispute between St. James’s Place (SJP) advisers reveals far more than a contractual disagreement. It exposes the rot beneath the … Continue reading 💣 The £4m SJP Lawsuit That Blows a Hole in the FCA’s ‘Growth Agenda’ Cover Story
The Great Advice Divide: Why Boomers Delegate and Zillennials Demand Empowerment
💸 £5.5 trillion is about to walk out the door. That’s the estimated value of assets traditional advice firms could lose over the next decade as wealth transfers from Boomers to Zillennials. "The future doesn’t belong to those who manage wealth—it belongs to those who know how to grow it, use it, and share it … Continue reading The Great Advice Divide: Why Boomers Delegate and Zillennials Demand Empowerment
Reclaiming Purpose in the Age of AI: The GAME Plan at the Crossroads of Humanity
Reclaiming Meaningful Economic Activity in an Age of AIWhy the GAME Plan Is Humanity's Remedy—And Why the Time to Act Is Now By Steve Conley 🔥 The Fork in the Road: Two Futures for Humanity It’s 2035. The machines didn’t just take the factory jobs—they wrote the code, made the diagnoses, handled the accounts, taught … Continue reading Reclaiming Purpose in the Age of AI: The GAME Plan at the Crossroads of Humanity
🔒 Unlocking Retirement: Why the “Rigged System” Sells You Short
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning “The goal isn’t to retire from life. It’s to retire into it—fully, meaningfully, and on your terms.” When the financial services industry talks about retirement, it often frames the conversation within two narrow pillars: the State Pension and the Pension Fund. This framing, while familiar, is misleading—because … Continue reading 🔒 Unlocking Retirement: Why the “Rigged System” Sells You Short
FCA Presses Ahead With Advice-Guidance Reforms: Who Speaks for the Consumer?
By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning | June 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it will accelerate consultation on its much-debated reforms to the advice-guidance boundary, citing “excellent engagement” from major financial institutions. But while banks, platforms, and product providers have had front-row seats to shape these changes, one glaring … Continue reading FCA Presses Ahead With Advice-Guidance Reforms: Who Speaks for the Consumer?
🏛️ Reimagining Financial Planning: Inside the AoLP Governance Charter
By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning📅 June 2025 “This Charter is more than a document—it’s a declaration of our shared commitment to build a profession grounded in trust, transparency, and empowerment.” After over a decade of pioneering ethical, holistic, and transparent life planning, the Academy of Life Planning (AoLP) is now … Continue reading 🏛️ Reimagining Financial Planning: Inside the AoLP Governance Charter
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