🧭 Products and Services Must Be Structurally Trustworthy

Empowerment starts with trust — not just training. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is right to highlight the “understanding gap” under the Consumer Duty. Speaking at the Fair4All Finance Delivering Financial Inclusion Together Conference, chief executive Nikhil Rathi said widening access to financial services without improving understanding risks “points of vulnerability where small decisions carry … Continue reading 🧭 Products and Services Must Be Structurally Trustworthy

🌍 The Academy of Life Planning — A Brand Story for the Age of Empowerment

1. The Call to Adventure For generations, people have been taught to trust intermediaries —financial advisers to tell them what to do with their money,religious institutions to tell them what to believe,corporations and governments to tell them what to value. But something inside them whispers: There must be another way.A way to reclaim agency, rediscover … Continue reading 🌍 The Academy of Life Planning — A Brand Story for the Age of Empowerment

⚖️ Why We Still Need Claims Management Companies: Protecting the Public in a Captured System

By Steve Conley, Founder – Academy of Life Planning The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced a new multi-agency crackdown on “misleading” advertising by claims management companies (CMCs) and certain law firms handling motor-finance cases. The initiative, coordinated with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), is … Continue reading ⚖️ Why We Still Need Claims Management Companies: Protecting the Public in a Captured System

Partner With AoLP: Replacing Extraction With Empowerment

At the Academy of Life Planning (AoLP), we’ve always believed in a simple truth: finance should serve people, not the other way around. Our mission is to help individuals and professionals break free from extractive financial systems, and to build a future rooted in transparency, empowerment, and holistic well-being. But big missions require allies. That’s … Continue reading Partner With AoLP: Replacing Extraction With Empowerment

Choosing the Harder Road: A Planner’s Pledge to Serve

I became a financial planner because I wanted to help people. Not to sell them things. Not to push them down a funnel. But to see them walk away lighter, more confident, and more in control of their lives. The truth is, that’s harder than it sounds. Our industry is built on the gravitational pull … Continue reading Choosing the Harder Road: A Planner’s Pledge to Serve

Your Path to Profit as an Academy Member

From your first affiliate link to running your own full-service practice — here’s how you can earn income while serving clients with integrity. You’ve joined the Academy of Life Planning because you believe in ethical, human-first financial planning. But how do you turn that passion into income? This guide shows you three simple, progressive ways … Continue reading Your Path to Profit as an Academy Member

The GAME Plan for Sovereign Living

One Cycle. Four Steps. A Lifetime of Freedom. 🔷 Proposition Summary The GAME Plan for Sovereign Living is not just a financial planning system—it’s a conscious path for those ready to reclaim autonomy, restore inner harmony, and reshape the world from the inside out. Built on ancient natural cycles and aligned with the Aquarian Age, … Continue reading The GAME Plan for Sovereign Living

🧭 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

Recording Client Meetings with AI: The Silent Erosion of Trust?

“Can I record this meeting?” It sounds like a simple, harmless question. Yet behind it lies a hidden complexity that the financial planning profession must urgently address — one that goes far beyond compliance and cuts to the heart of client trust. In his recent article, “The hidden AI reality behind ‘Can I record this … Continue reading Recording Client Meetings with AI: The Silent Erosion of Trust?

The End of Free Financial Justice? How New Fees Could Undermine Consumer Protection at the Financial Ombudsman Service

Fairness Analysis: The Introduction of Fees for Complainants Seeking Legal Representation at the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) Introduction The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) was founded on the principle that consumers should have free and accessible redress when financial firms treat them unfairly. Historically, its funding model ensured that complainants bore no cost for lodging disputes, … Continue reading The End of Free Financial Justice? How New Fees Could Undermine Consumer Protection at the Financial Ombudsman Service