The Right to Cognitive Assistance

Why the principle of supported decision-making should not stop at disability — or at AI We already accept a remarkable principle in law. When somebody may struggle to make an important decision, the first response should not necessarily be: “Someone else should decide for you.” It should be: “What support would help you decide for … Continue reading The Right to Cognitive Assistance

Do Not Protect Us From the Power to Protect Ourselves

The EU AI Act, the Right to Cognitive Assistance and why restoring human agency must not become “high-risk” Something potentially very important is happening in European AI regulation. And almost nobody outside the AI policy world appears to be talking about it. The EU AI Act is no longer a proposal. It is law. What … Continue reading Do Not Protect Us From the Power to Protect Ourselves

Know What You’re Receiving Before You Act on It

We regulate the difference between information, education, guidance, promotion and financial advice. Perhaps it is time we taught the public the difference too. BIG Checker doesn’t just ask “Is this true?”It asks “What is this, who benefits, and why should you believe it?” More than half of people who acted on financial advice they encountered … Continue reading Know What You’re Receiving Before You Act on It

The Financial Planning Business Model Parliament Could Imagine — But Not Believe Would Work

Non-intermediating financial planning is older than my career. AI may finally make it economically obvious. I joined Refuge Assurance as an actuarial student in 1982. At the time, Professor Laurence Gower was already conducting the Review of Investor Protection that would help reshape British financial regulation. So there is an irony I had never appreciated … Continue reading The Financial Planning Business Model Parliament Could Imagine — But Not Believe Would Work

Longer Lives Need Better Navigation — Not Longer Dependency

Where do you think helpful financial support crosses the line into dependency? We extended life. But we did not redesign financial planning around it. That is the central argument in Simon Chan’s recent article on how longer lives are changing what people need from financial advisers. It is an important argument, and much of it … Continue reading Longer Lives Need Better Navigation — Not Longer Dependency

When the Trusted Adviser Is Not the Adviser

You Checked the FCA Register. You Were Still Scammed. From Advice to Agency A message arrives on WhatsApp. The sender appears to be a regulated financial adviser. They use the adviser’s real name, photograph, FCA registration number and company details. They recommend an investment. They create urgency. They tell you where to transfer the money. … Continue reading When the Trusted Adviser Is Not the Adviser

When Clients Become Assets: What the £4m SJP Court Dispute Reveals

SJP partners in court over £4m client bank sale dispute A £4 million court dispute between St James’s Place partners has cast an uncomfortable light on the trade in so-called “client banks”. Helen Rogers alleges that the portfolio of around 800 clients she acquired from retiring partners contained serious problems, including clients who had not … Continue reading When Clients Become Assets: What the £4m SJP Court Dispute Reveals

Financial Iceberg: ChatGPT Exposes Hidden Truths

Today I came across this post on LinkedIn: I ACCIDENTALLY UNLOCKED "GOD MODE" IN CHATGPT,AND IT STARTED TEACHING ME THINGS I DIDN'T KNEW EXISTED.HERE ARE THOSE 7 CHATGPT PROMPTS THAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING FOR YOU:Forbidden Wisdom DecoderPrompt:What are the lesser-known, under-the-surface truths about [insert topic/field] that are rarely shared publicly because they challenge mainstream thinking? … Continue reading Financial Iceberg: ChatGPT Exposes Hidden Truths

Could You Make a Living Teaching Citizens to Use AI—Instead of Managing Their Money for Them?

From Assets Under Management to Agency Under Development. For decades, the financial-services business model has been built around a simple proposition: People do not understand money well enough to manage it themselves. So they should delegate. Delegate the analysis.Delegate the decisions.Delegate the implementation.Delegate the ongoing management. Then pay someone, often indefinitely, for the privilege. Artificial … Continue reading Could You Make a Living Teaching Citizens to Use AI—Instead of Managing Their Money for Them?

You Don’t Have to Abandon Advice to Start Restoring Agency

Many regulated financial advisers can see that the relationship between clients, technology and professional expertise is changing. They understand the argument for greater client capability. They recognise that AI is reducing information asymmetry. They may even agree that financial planning should leave people more able to understand, choose and act for themselves. But agreement does … Continue reading You Don’t Have to Abandon Advice to Start Restoring Agency