The Industry Is Starting to Move Toward Total Wealth Planning

For years, many of us inside the Academy of Life Planning have felt like we were speaking a different language from the wider financial services industry. While much of the profession focused on: products, portfolios, regulation, platforms, and accumulation models, AoLP kept returning to a simpler question: “What do human beings actually need in order … Continue reading The Industry Is Starting to Move Toward Total Wealth Planning

Restore Human Agency — and What That Means for the Future of Financial Planning

For years, the financial planning profession has largely been built around one central assumption: People need experts to take control. Control of investments.Control of products.Control of complexity.Control of decision-making. That model made sense in an era where financial information was scarce, expensive, fragmented, and difficult for ordinary people to access. But the world has changed. … Continue reading Restore Human Agency — and What That Means for the Future of Financial Planning

The Faster the System Becomes, the More Capable People Must Become

The UK government has quietly signalled the direction of travel for the future of financial services. Faster approvals. Faster innovation. Faster regulation. More flexibility for firms. More strategic oversight. Less procedural friction. The recent HM Treasury consultation response on financial services regulatory reform makes the trajectory increasingly clear: the UK wants a more agile, competitive, … Continue reading The Faster the System Becomes, the More Capable People Must Become

Restoring Human Agency Without Surrendering Your Data, Judgement, or Autonomy

A recent legal sector survey revealed something deeply important — and not just for lawyers. Nearly 60% of legal professionals admitted using unapproved public AI tools such as free versions of ChatGPT for client work, despite confidentiality obligations and professional conduct rules. At the same time, many firm leaders believed their organisations faced “zero risk” … Continue reading Restoring Human Agency Without Surrendering Your Data, Judgement, or Autonomy

Growth for Whom? Why Restoring Human Agency May Be the Real National Challenge

Growth for Whom? Why Restoring Human Agency May Be the Real National Challenge In a recent article, Rishi Sunak argued that economic growth remains the defining challenge facing Britain. Without stronger growth, he warned, public finances worsen, politics becomes more volatile, and increasingly difficult decisions must be made regarding regulation, the size of the state, … Continue reading Growth for Whom? Why Restoring Human Agency May Be the Real National Challenge

Institutional SaaS vs Human Agency

Why the Future of Financial Wellbeing May Depend on Who Controls the Operating System For decades, financial technology has largely been built for institutions. Not for people. The interfaces may have looked consumer-friendly.The branding may have spoken about empowerment, trust, and outcomes.But beneath the surface, much of the architecture of modern financial technology was designed … Continue reading Institutional SaaS vs Human Agency

The Leveller™ and the Public Interest Movement Toward Informed Consent

For years, consumer harm has often been framed as a personal failure. “You should have read the agreement.”“You signed it.”“You accepted the terms.” But a new UK Government consultation on the misuse of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) suggests something important is beginning to shift. The conversation is slowly moving away from:“Did someone sign?” Towards:“Did they truly … Continue reading The Leveller™ and the Public Interest Movement Toward Informed Consent

Fiduciary or Free Thinker? Why the “Best Interests” Badge May Not Mean What You Think

For years, consumers have been told to look for one word when choosing a financial professional: “Fiduciary.” The term sounds reassuring. Protective. Dependable. It suggests the person sitting across the table is legally and ethically required to put your interests first. And in many ways, that is true. But there is a deeper question very … Continue reading Fiduciary or Free Thinker? Why the “Best Interests” Badge May Not Mean What You Think

Restoring Human Agency in the Age of AI

What Health Services Can Teach Financial Planning About the Future of Human Capability For decades, both healthcare and financial services have operated around a remarkably similar assumption: The expert knows best. In healthcare, the doctor diagnoses, prescribes, and directs. In financial services, the adviser recommends, structures, and manages. The individual — patient or client — … Continue reading Restoring Human Agency in the Age of AI

The Missing Voice at Adviser Conferences: What Advisers Aren’t Hearing About AI

What sits underneath many industry conferences is an uncomfortable structural reality: the ecosystem is largely self-referential. The sponsors fund the event.The media platforms depend on industry advertising.The exhibitors sell to advisers.The speakers often come from firms benefiting from the existing model.The audience attends within that commercial architecture. That does not automatically make the discussions wrong. … Continue reading The Missing Voice at Adviser Conferences: What Advisers Aren’t Hearing About AI