AI is poised to reshape banking not just by cutting costs, but by redistributing profits, redefining customer relationships, and accelerating competition. How should banks respond? Source: McKinsey Report, 29th may 2026. There is a great deal here that reinforces themes the Academy has been exploring for years, but there are also some important cautions. At … Continue reading Move first or fall behind: How AI is rewriting the rules of banking
Tag: ai
The Age of Human Agency Has Arrived
Why AI Could Be the Greatest Empowerment Tool in Human History A recent newspaper article in the Telegraph explored an emerging battle between the world's largest consulting firms and Silicon Valley AI companies. The story focused on how firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic are moving beyond software and into consultancy services, challenging the dominance … Continue reading The Age of Human Agency Has Arrived
The Most Important AI Story Nobody Is Talking About
For months I've watched the public conversation about artificial intelligence with growing curiosity. Every week there seems to be another warning. AI will take jobs. AI hallucinates. AI creates misinformation. AI cannot be trusted. AI will replace professionals. AI will concentrate power. Some of these concerns are legitimate. Every transformative technology creates risks. But I … Continue reading The Most Important AI Story Nobody Is Talking About
Former SJP partners hire lawyers to bring claim against advice giant
Group says advice company did not pay fair compensation for clients passed on to other appointed representatives, in case SJP describes as speculative. See Citywire article, 29 May 2026. The story centres on a growing dispute between former advisers of St. James's Place (SJP) and the firm's adviser network model. A group of former SJP … Continue reading Former SJP partners hire lawyers to bring claim against advice giant
More Than a Million Young Britons Are Drifting. We Need to Talk About Agency.
More Than a Million Young Britons Are Drifting. We Need to Talk About Agency. By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning. Check out the free app at http://www.totalwealthplan.net. A deeply troubling reality emerged this week from a major government-backed review into youth inactivity in the UK. More than half of economically inactive young people have … Continue reading More Than a Million Young Britons Are Drifting. We Need to Talk About Agency.
Advice Out. Agency In. Why the FCA’s ‘Two Hats’ Issue Is About to Reshape Financial Planning
Why the FCA “Two Hats” Problem Is About to Become One of the Biggest Strategic Issues in Financial Planning For years, the UK financial advice profession has operated within a relatively stable identity structure. You were either: an authorised firm, an appointed representative, or a regulated financial adviser operating under a regulated permissions framework. The … Continue reading Advice Out. Agency In. Why the FCA’s ‘Two Hats’ Issue Is About to Reshape Financial Planning
We Built a BS Checker for Financial Narratives. Because Somebody Had To.
Every morning, millions of people read financial articles, adviser communications, product brochures, and institutional announcements that shape how they think about money. Most never question the framing. Because the language sounds professional.The logos look trustworthy.The terminology feels authoritative. And yet many people still walk away feeling vaguely uneasy. You know the kind of article. The … Continue reading We Built a BS Checker for Financial Narratives. Because Somebody Had To.
Can AI Become the Honest Advocate Consumers Never Had in Financial Services?
QUESTION: Can AI help ordinary people see through the complexity, incentives, and institutional narratives embedded within modern financial services? “I’m wondering to what extent AI can genuinely act as an honest advocate for individuals within financial services. Not as a salesperson.Not as an institutional gatekeeper.But as a truth-seeking assistant helping ordinary people navigate complexity, opacity, … Continue reading Can AI Become the Honest Advocate Consumers Never Had in Financial Services?
We Built Something to Level the Playing Field. It’s Now Live.
By Steve Conley, Founder — Academy of Life Planning & Get SAFE There is a moment most of us have experienced. You are about to sign something. A contract, an agreement, a set of terms and conditions. The other party hands you a document — sometimes thick, sometimes thin, always dense — and waits. There … Continue reading We Built Something to Level the Playing Field. It’s Now Live.
The End of Search Rankings? Why The Leveller May Be Arriving at Exactly the Right Time
For years, app discovery was largely a game of keywords, rankings, and visibility hacks. Developers fought for attention in crowded marketplaces using optimisation tactics designed for algorithms rather than humans. But something fundamental is changing. At Google I/O 2026, Google revealed a major shift in how people will discover apps on Google Play. Instead of … Continue reading The End of Search Rankings? Why The Leveller May Be Arriving at Exactly the Right Time
