We've Invested in Professionals. Now Let's Invest in People. The Personal Finance Society has announced that it will continue investing its reserves to attract new entrants into the financial planning profession. It is a significant commitment, building on a £1 million programme to remove barriers, fund qualifications and promote financial planning as a career. That … Continue reading The Profession Is Investing in More Professionals. But Who Is Investing in More Capable Citizens?
Tag: business
Are Banks Promoting the Right People?
When I was made redundant from RBS Group, I was told I was "not alpha male enough." At the time, I dismissed it as just another piece of corporate jargon. Looking back, it raises a much deeper question. What exactly do organisations mean when they reward people for being more "alpha"? Are they selecting for … Continue reading Are Banks Promoting the Right People?
Why Total Wealth Planners See the Future Differently
The biggest difference between those inside and outside the Academy isn't belief in human agency. It's that those inside have stopped asking whether the future is coming and have started building businesses for it. When you're inside the movement, you see a different future from those looking in. Over the past few weeks, I've been … Continue reading Why Total Wealth Planners See the Future Differently
Before You Accept That Graduate Financial Planning Job, Ask Yourself One Question
Not every financial planning career is built to achieve the same purpose. A growing number of graduates are entering financial planning because they genuinely want to help people. They enjoy personal finance. They care about psychology. They like solving problems. They want to make a positive difference to people's lives. The profession needs people like … Continue reading Before You Accept That Graduate Financial Planning Job, Ask Yourself One Question
The Next Battle Isn’t for the Customer Interface. It’s for Human Agency.
Where does the long-term economic power probably sit? With Institutions or Citizens? Jason Butler recently published an insightful LinkedIn post arguing that the future of financial services will not be won through better investment research or faster suitability reports. Instead, he suggests the real strategic battleground is interface control, behavioural data, engagement frequency and trusted … Continue reading The Next Battle Isn’t for the Customer Interface. It’s for Human Agency.
Don’t Fix the Supply Side. Empower the Demand Side.
Most organisations are trying to make the supply side more efficient. The Academy is helping the demand side become more capable. For decades, innovation in financial planning has focused on improving the supply side of the market: better platforms, better products, better regulation, better adviser technology and, more recently, AI for advisers. The Academy of … Continue reading Don’t Fix the Supply Side. Empower the Demand Side.
Another Adviser Firm Walks Away from SJP. Coincidence—or the Start of a Structural Shift?
Another advice firm has chosen to leave St. James's Place. SRB Financial Planning, a business responsible for approximately £250 million of client assets, has joined Quilter Financial Planning after reviewing its future strategic options. The firm said it selected Quilter for its greater investment flexibility, technology, operational support and broader platform. The move adds to … Continue reading Another Adviser Firm Walks Away from SJP. Coincidence—or the Start of a Structural Shift?
UBS Sees AI Disrupting Financial Advice. We See Something Even Bigger.
For years, discussions about artificial intelligence in financial planning have centred on one question: How will AI affect financial advisers? A new analyst note from UBS, reported by Citywire, suggests that question is no longer theoretical. UBS has accelerated its assumptions about AI disruption, bringing forward the point at which it expects AI to affect … Continue reading UBS Sees AI Disrupting Financial Advice. We See Something Even Bigger.
The Missing Piece in the Mills Review: What Does a Public-Interest AI Financial Capability Service Actually Look Like?
"The question is no longer whether to allow AI, it is who is AI going to serve?... the answer must be citizens."— Sheldon Mills, AI and the Future of Retail Financial Services (2026) The publication of the Mills Review marks an important moment in the evolution of financial services. For the first time, a major … Continue reading The Missing Piece in the Mills Review: What Does a Public-Interest AI Financial Capability Service Actually Look Like?
From the Advice Gap to the Agency Gap
Why the FCA's AI Review could transform financial planning—if we put citizens first For more than two decades, policymakers have talked about the advice gap. Millions of people cannot afford regulated financial advice, do not qualify for it, or simply choose not to use it. The result has been a familiar debate. Should advice become … Continue reading From the Advice Gap to the Agency Gap
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