“Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets.”— Kevin Plank It began, as many things do, with a trusted voice on the radio. The BBC’s Money Box has long been a staple of consumer advocacy in Britain — a comforting soundscape of sensible financial advice, delivered with journalistic credibility. But something didn’t sit right … Continue reading Who Guards the Guardians? The FCA, Money Box, and the Disappearing Line Between Advocacy and Sales
Tag: business
🧭 Reimagining Financial Empowerment in the Aquarian Age: A Response to FCA CP25/17
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning The FCA's Consultation Paper CP25/17, “Supporting consumers' pensions and investment decisions: proposals for targeted support,” sets out to close the so-called “advice gap” through a new regime of cohort-based recommendations. But to those of us working to empower individuals, not intermediaries, this paper represents a step backwards—toward … Continue reading 🧭 Reimagining Financial Empowerment in the Aquarian Age: A Response to FCA CP25/17
💼 From Delegator’s Intermediary to Empowered: Reimagining a Financial Planner’s Career in 90 Days
How a seasoned adviser found purpose, profit, and personal fulfilment as a holistic wealth planner. “I didn’t know this was even possible.”That’s what Alex (name changed) told us when we first connected. After nearly three decades in financial services as a Chartered Financial Planner, Alex had spent a career focused on compliance, personal advice, and … Continue reading 💼 From Delegator’s Intermediary to Empowered: Reimagining a Financial Planner’s Career in 90 Days
🕴️ Who Is Sir Humphrey?
Exposing the Invisible Hand That Keeps the Status Quo in Place “Minister, the ship of state is the only ship that leaks from the top.”—Sir Humphrey Appleby, Yes Minister In the battle for financial reform, it’s not always the elected officials who block change—it’s the quiet, well-dressed figures in the background. The ones who never … Continue reading 🕴️ Who Is Sir Humphrey?
🌍 Why ISO 22222 Backs the Aquarian Shift in Financial Planning
Does Finance Fulfil Purpose? Part 2: How international standards support client-led, purpose-driven advice models In the Age of Aquarius, we are witnessing a profound shift in how financial planning is delivered—and more importantly, who holds the power. At the Academy of Life Planning, we champion a model where the client, not the planner, retains full … Continue reading 🌍 Why ISO 22222 Backs the Aquarian Shift in Financial Planning
Why White-Collar Britain Needs a GAME Plan
The age of AI has arrived — and it’s not the builders and bricklayers who should be worried. White-collar Britain is waking up to a rude shock. The cognitive class — long protected by degrees, desks, and digital skillsets — is now in the firing line of the very technology it helped create. The tables … Continue reading Why White-Collar Britain Needs a GAME Plan
🚨 What’s Stopping You? 10 Financial Planning Myths Debunked
This is when the penny drops. You feel it, don’t you? The industry is changing. The clients are changing. You’re changing. And yet, something holds you back from making the shift—from Piscean financial adviser to Aquarian financial planner. Let’s bust the myths and break through the mental hurdles keeping you trapped in an outdated model. … Continue reading 🚨 What’s Stopping You? 10 Financial Planning Myths Debunked
Future-Proof Your Practice: Serve the Empowered Generation Without the Red Tape
As the financial landscape evolves, one truth becomes increasingly clear: we are moving from a generation of wealthy delegators to an new age of empowered decision-makers. Tomorrow's clients don’t just want to be told what to do with their money—they want to be educated, empowered, and guided holistically. For regulated financial planning firms, this shift … Continue reading Future-Proof Your Practice: Serve the Empowered Generation Without the Red Tape
Dear Nikhil Rathi: A £1.5m Crypto Scam Got 12 Years — But What About £10bn QROPS Fraud?
By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning 👏 Well done, FCA. Two fraudsters who scammed 65 individuals out of £1.5 million through fake crypto investments have rightly been sentenced to a combined 12 years in prison. Justice was swift, public, and commendable. But what about the 40,000 British victims of the QROPS scandal — robbed … Continue reading Dear Nikhil Rathi: A £1.5m Crypto Scam Got 12 Years — But What About £10bn QROPS Fraud?
💥 St. James’s Dis-Place
Why Advisers Are Ditching the Old Model for Autonomy, Empowerment, and Purpose “You can’t heal in the same place you got sick.” For years, thousands of financial advisers have been drawn to St. James’s Place (SJP) by the promise of prestige, support, and stability. But behind the glossy brochures and award dinners lies a truth … Continue reading 💥 St. James’s Dis-Place
Academy of Life Planning 