And Why Total Wealth Planners Must Think Bigger Than Cashflow Models For decades, the financial planning profession has trained itself to believe one thing above all else: “Accuracy is everything.” The closer a spreadsheet can predict a person’s financial future, the more “professional” the plan is assumed to be. But here is the uncomfortable truth: … Continue reading Why Money Precision Is Not the Point in Later-Life Planning
Tag: budgeting
Case Study: When “Building Your Own Book” Isn’t What It Seems
This case study is drawn from multiple adviser experiences. Details have been anonymised, but the structure and outcomes are real. The starting point: an attractive opportunity An adviser joins a well-known advice practice operating within a large network. They are offered a Business Support Package (BSP), described verbally as: help getting started, an investment in … Continue reading Case Study: When “Building Your Own Book” Isn’t What It Seems
The BSP Trap: What SJP Advisers Are Rarely Told — and How to Get Free If You’re Already In
Business Support Packages (BSPs) are often presented as a helping hand. A bridge.A vote of confidence.A way to “get established quickly”. For many advisers entering or operating within large networks such as St James’s Place, BSPs can feel like the only viable route forward. But what looks like support on the way in can feel … Continue reading The BSP Trap: What SJP Advisers Are Rarely Told — and How to Get Free If You’re Already In
Beware the Open Gate: Why Stepping Outside the Regulatory Perimeter Puts You at Risk
A Get SAFE warning for citizens, savers, and investors There is a quiet but dangerous shift happening in UK financial regulation. The Financial Conduct Authority has proposed changes that would make it easier for individuals to be classified as “professional investors” — even without significant wealth — provided they pass a subjective assessment by a … Continue reading Beware the Open Gate: Why Stepping Outside the Regulatory Perimeter Puts You at Risk
Why a Total Wealth Plan Feels So Different from a Financial Plan
Why a Total Wealth Plan Feels So Different from a Financial Plan And why it isn’t a bolt-on People approaching a Total Wealth Plan—whether as individuals or professional advisers—often do so with a familiar mental model. They expect a better financial plan.More depth. More insight. Better projections. That expectation is understandable.It’s also where confusion usually … Continue reading Why a Total Wealth Plan Feels So Different from a Financial Plan
From the 1% to the 100%: An Invitation to Financial Advisers Ready to Practise Total Wealth Planning
Most financial advisers didn’t enter the profession to sell products. They entered it to help people make better decisions about their lives. And yet, many now find themselves constrained — not by their ethics or competence, but by the narrow scope of the system they work within. This article isn’t a critique of advisers.It’s an … Continue reading From the 1% to the 100%: An Invitation to Financial Advisers Ready to Practise Total Wealth Planning
AoLP Blog: “Let’s Get the Debate Over With”: You’re all doing financial planning wrong.
You’re all doing financial planning wrong.When one person stands against the crowd, it’s easy to dismiss them as difficult, disruptive, or wrong. But what if that one person simply sees the truth differently? For years, I’ve been that “annoying guy” in your feed saying the financial planning industry has lost its way. It’s not about … Continue reading AoLP Blog: “Let’s Get the Debate Over With”: You’re all doing financial planning wrong.
🧭 Structurally Trustworthy Education: Teaching Our Children Freedom, Not Dependency
By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning Background: Financial Education Returns to the Curriculum After more than a decade without review, the UK Government has announced plans to include financial education within the national curriculum for both primary and secondary schools. The proposals, warmly welcomed by many financial planners, aim to make … Continue reading 🧭 Structurally Trustworthy Education: Teaching Our Children Freedom, Not Dependency
💡 Budget Watch: What Rachel Reeves’ 100-Measure Budget Could Mean for You
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is reportedly weighing over a hundred separate tax and spending measures as she prepares the 2025 Budget— the next UK Budget is confirmed for Wednesday 26 November 2025. With the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warning of slower growth and tighter fiscal space, the government faces difficult choices about who pays, … Continue reading 💡 Budget Watch: What Rachel Reeves’ 100-Measure Budget Could Mean for You
Retirement Decumulation: What to Consider When You’re Managing Your Own Finances
Understanding your options before you start drawing down your wealth Retirement isn’t just the end of work — it’s the beginning of a new financial rhythm.For those managing their own finances, the decumulation stage can be both liberating and daunting. You’ve built up your savings over decades — now the challenge is to turn that … Continue reading Retirement Decumulation: What to Consider When You’re Managing Your Own Finances
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