Democratising Coutts investment capability is a good idea. Calling a product-distribution pathway financial planning would not be. There is something rather familiar about NatWest's ambition to grow the number of its retail customers who invest with the bank from around 170,000 to more than 500,000. I know because, almost 20 years ago, I was sitting … Continue reading NatWest Wants 500,000 Investors. I Suggested Part of the Model Almost 20 Years Ago.
Tag: academy-of-life-planning
The Academy Community Is Now Live on WhatsApp
Most people do not need a financial adviser beside them all the time. They need the right tools, somewhere trustworthy to ask questions, and access to an independent second brain when life becomes complex, stressful or uncertain. That is the thinking behind the new Academy of Life Planning Community on WhatsApp, now open to all … Continue reading The Academy Community Is Now Live on WhatsApp
Agency Story No. 2: The Couple Who Came Back When the Decision Changed
Rachel and David did not need someone permanently managing their financial lives. They needed a way to explore retirement for themselves, followed by focused human support when the remaining decisions became more complex. Names and certain identifying details have been changed to protect client confidentiality. The underlying circumstances, planning process and client quotations remain faithful … Continue reading Agency Story No. 2: The Couple Who Came Back When the Decision Changed
The Hot Shower: Jimmy Carr’s Outlook on Gratitude, Perspective and Modern Luxury
The Hot Shower Thought Most of us step into a hot shower without giving it a second thought. Jimmy Carr suggests we should. He points out that no king, emperor or celebrated figure from a century ago could reliably enjoy what millions of ordinary people now experience every morning: clean, instantly available hot water, delivered … Continue reading The Hot Shower: Jimmy Carr’s Outlook on Gratitude, Perspective and Modern Luxury
Professional Agency: From Selling Shovels to Giving People the Forge
Most professional academies make the same promise. They identify the professional’s dream of freedom, success and independence, then sell them the tools they supposedly need to reach it. A business model. A marketing system. A coaching framework. A qualification. A secret formula. The message is familiar: You can build the practice you want—but only if … Continue reading Professional Agency: From Selling Shovels to Giving People the Forge
Planner Story No. 1: The Financial Adviser Who Discovered Clients Would Pay to Become More Capable
Planner Story No. 1 The Financial Adviser Who Discovered Clients Would Pay to Become More Capable After more than twenty years in financial advice, Mushtaq Jaigirdar faced a question many experienced advisers quietly carry: would people still value his expertise if it was no longer attached to products, portfolios or permanent dependency? The breakthrough did … Continue reading Planner Story No. 1: The Financial Adviser Who Discovered Clients Would Pay to Become More Capable
Introducing GiftFlow™: Restoring Human Agency, One Gift at a Time
Today we're delighted to announce the launch of GiftFlow™, the latest addition to the Academy OS ecosystem. GiftFlow is available now at: https://gift-flow.app/ GiftFlow exists for one simple reason. Most families don't struggle because inheritance tax law is complicated. They struggle because the evidence disappears. Seven years of gifts.Bank transfers spread across multiple accounts.Regular support … Continue reading Introducing GiftFlow™: Restoring Human Agency, One Gift at a Time
When the Investigator Becomes the Target – Part II
A contemporaneous record of events following my involvement with Safe or Scam Steve Conley Why I am publishing this For several years, various websites, anonymous online reviews and social media posts have made serious allegations about me following my involvement with an organisation called Safe or Scam. Some of those allegations accuse me of operating … Continue reading When the Investigator Becomes the Target – Part II
AoLP helps planners build better businesses, serve clients more effectively, and prepare for the future of planning in an age of AI and restored human agency.
The Academy of Life Planning helps planners become Total Wealth Planners by combining professional community, strategic support, AI-powered planning infrastructure, practical business development, and a philosophy centred on restoring human agency. Based on the mentorship sessions, Academy structure, Total Wealth OS roadmap, and the positioning we've been developing, I would describe the support provided to … Continue reading AoLP helps planners build better businesses, serve clients more effectively, and prepare for the future of planning in an age of AI and restored human agency.
The Financial Advice Market Is Still Selling Dependency. Consumers Are Moving Towards Agency.
How should we understand the emerging shift from dependency to agency in the financial advice market, particularly as AI reduces information asymmetry and increases consumers’ ability to understand, model and challenge financial decisions for themselves? My working hypothesis is that the supply side of the market remains relatively rigid and anchored in the traditional dependency … Continue reading The Financial Advice Market Is Still Selling Dependency. Consumers Are Moving Towards Agency.
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