There is a quiet shift underway in financial services. Not a dramatic collapse. Not a sudden disruption.But something more consequential. A slow, structural unravelling of the traditional advice model. And most advisers haven’t fully clocked it yet. A Model Under Pressure Regulated advisers today are operating within a tightening vice. On one side, regulatory change.On … Continue reading The Future of Regulated Advice: Adapt, Evolve, or Be Replaced
Tag: business
The Leveller: Restoring Power at the Point of Signature
“All planning begins with what is already present.” The Leveller starts with the contract in your hand. Every day, people are asked to sign agreements they don’t fully understand. Not because they lack intelligence.But because the system is designed that way. Contracts are long Language is complex Time pressure is real And the other side … Continue reading The Leveller: Restoring Power at the Point of Signature
Introducing The Leveller — Know What You’re Signing Before You Sign It
By Steve Conley, Founder of Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation) For years, we have sat with people after the damage was done. People who trusted.People who signed.People who didn’t realise what they had agreed to until it was too late. The consequences are rarely just financial.They affect confidence, relationships, health—and sometimes a person’s entire … Continue reading Introducing The Leveller — Know What You’re Signing Before You Sign It
From Product to Purpose: Reframing the SSAS Conversation Through the GAME Plan
The problem isn’t the tool. It’s where we start. There’s a familiar pattern in financial services. A product is introduced.Its benefits are explained.Case studies are shared.And somewhere along the way, it begins to feel like the answer. A recent SSAS property booklet is a good example. 7_REASONS_SSAS_BOOKLET__December_2025_.pdfDownload It speaks the language of control.It highlights flexibility.It … Continue reading From Product to Purpose: Reframing the SSAS Conversation Through the GAME Plan
Active Management Partnership (AMP): The Idea That Almost Fixed the System—But Didn’t Go Far Enough
By Steve Conley In 2009, a quietly radical idea was proposed in the pages of a private investor magazine. It did not call for revolution.It did not reject the financial system.It simply asked a very reasonable question: What if fund managers were only paid when they genuinely outperformed? The proposal—known as the Active Management Partnership … Continue reading Active Management Partnership (AMP): The Idea That Almost Fixed the System—But Didn’t Go Far Enough
Regulation After the Fall: What the Hartley Case Reveals About a System That Reacts Too Late
By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning A familiar pattern—only now, it’s formal The Financial Conduct Authority has taken a step toward enforcement action against Hartley Pensions. The allegations are serious. Misleading the regulator Using client pension funds without consent Acting for personal benefit Attempting to conceal wrongdoing For thousands of clients affected, this … Continue reading Regulation After the Fall: What the Hartley Case Reveals About a System That Reacts Too Late
A 14-year silence… now under review
“£674m a year in hidden fees over 14 years. Now ask yourself: what did you receive — and are you due a refund?” The Financial Conduct Authority has reopened a question many assumed had already been settled: Should trail commission still exist? Not for new business—that was addressed in 2012 under the Retail Distribution Review … Continue reading A 14-year silence… now under review
From Aid to Agency
The Total Community Plan and the Future of Community Transformation By Steve Conley Founder, Academy of Life Planning For decades, efforts to address poverty, injustice, and environmental degradation have followed a familiar pattern. Resources flow in. Programmes are delivered. Outcomes are measured. And yet, in many communities, the underlying conditions remain unchanged. Not because people … Continue reading From Aid to Agency
2026: The Year Financial Planners Either Step Forward… or Step Aside
There are moments in an industry’s history where change is gradual.And then there are moments where it is sudden, structural, and irreversible. 2026 is the latter. If you are a financial planner who has not yet engaged with the Academy of Life Planning this year, this is not a criticism. It is a signal. Because … Continue reading 2026: The Year Financial Planners Either Step Forward… or Step Aside
Targeted Support and the Quiet Rewiring of Financial Advice
By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning There are moments in financial services where a regulatory shift appears incremental on the surface, yet signals something far more profound beneath. The FCA’s introduction of Targeted Support is one of those moments. With firms such as Quilter and Royal London already moving at pace, the industry … Continue reading Targeted Support and the Quiet Rewiring of Financial Advice
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