A recent study by Andrés Erosa, Tatyana Koreshkova, and Diego Restuccia — “How Important Is Human Capital? A Quantitative Theory Assessment of World Income Inequality” — offers a powerful confirmation of what we at the Academy of Life Planning have been teaching for years: human capital is the true source of sustainable wealth. While traditional … Continue reading 🌍 The Human Capital Multiplier: What Economists Now Confirm About Wealth and Well-being
Tag: economics
The Day the Banks Chose Extraction Over Trust
It was 2011.I was Head of Investments at HSBC and Chair of the British Bancassurance Association’s Steering Group in the run-up to the Retail Distribution Review. I remember sitting in those meetings, confused about why the Sales Director always accompanied me. He never said a word. At the time, I thought it was simply political … Continue reading The Day the Banks Chose Extraction Over Trust
Human Capital Inequality and Life Expectancy: Lessons for Holistic Wealth Planners
“The true wealth of a nation lies not in its stock markets or its banks, but in the health, knowledge, and purpose of its people.” A 2008 study by Amparo Castelló-Climent and Rafael Doménech in The Economic Journal offers profound insights that every Holistic Wealth Planner should understand. Beneath its formal econometric modelling lies a … Continue reading Human Capital Inequality and Life Expectancy: Lessons for Holistic Wealth Planners
🌍 How England & Folbre’s Four Capabilities Underpin the GAME Plan’s Whole-Person Paradigm
“Wealth is not what we have, but what we can do — and become — together.” For over half a century, economists have treated human capital as an input to productivity — a resource to be measured, managed, and monetised. But a groundbreaking reappraisal by Paula England and Nancy Folbre invites us to see something … Continue reading 🌍 How England & Folbre’s Four Capabilities Underpin the GAME Plan’s Whole-Person Paradigm
Detached, Ignorant, and Selfish? The Real Crisis Isn’t in the Treasury — It’s in Our Thinking
By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning A City broker’s outburst this week branded the UK Treasury “detached, ignorant, and selfish,” accusing policymakers of strangling enterprise and misunderstanding the very nature of economic growth. It’s a strong statement — but one that echoes a deeper truth we at the Academy of Life Planning (AoLP) … Continue reading Detached, Ignorant, and Selfish? The Real Crisis Isn’t in the Treasury — It’s in Our Thinking
The Paradox of Progress: What the Data on Human Capital Teaches Holistic Wealth Planners
“When education becomes privilege, progress turns to paradox.” For decades, we’ve been told that education and upskilling are the keys to prosperity. Economists, politicians, and business leaders have repeated the same story — invest in human capital, and inequality will fall. But a recent study by Onur Ozdemir (2020), “Distributional Effects of Human Capital in … Continue reading The Paradox of Progress: What the Data on Human Capital Teaches Holistic Wealth Planners
Lessons from Adam Smith for Holistic Wealth Planners
Human Capital is the Seed of Prosperity, and Moral Capital is the Soil it Grows In When most people hear the name Adam Smith, they think of the “invisible hand,” free markets, and the birth of capitalism. Yet few recall that the same man who wrote The Wealth of Nations (1776) also wrote The Theory … Continue reading Lessons from Adam Smith for Holistic Wealth Planners
💡 Why Equal Access to Human Capital Is the New Engine of Growth
Lessons from global research on education, inequality, and empowerment In 2002, economists Amparo Castelló and Rafael Doménech published a groundbreaking study, Human Capital Inequality and Economic Growth, examining data from over a hundred countries between 1960 and 2000. Their findings carry profound implications not just for policymakers — but for us as Holistic Wealth Planners … Continue reading 💡 Why Equal Access to Human Capital Is the New Engine of Growth
When Bankers Betray Trust: Why Structural Change is Needed
Sometimes I’m accused of being disingenuous when I say, “bankers in general can’t be trusted.” People hear it as a sweeping statement, unfair to the many good people working in finance. Then stories like this one come along. This week, former Co-operative Bank chairman Paul Flowers was ordered by the CPS to repay £184,862 to … Continue reading When Bankers Betray Trust: Why Structural Change is Needed
London’s Dirty Money Problem: Why Deregulation Is No Growth Strategy
For centuries, London has been the beating heart of global finance. Its history is tied to empire, trade, and innovation. But behind the gleaming towers of the City lies another story—one of greed, capture, and complicity in the flow of dirty money. A recent article by Jochen Ressel traces how London became the world’s dirty … Continue reading London’s Dirty Money Problem: Why Deregulation Is No Growth Strategy
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