Why Better Financial Decisions Begin with Better Questions The latest Navigator™ update brings financial planning one step closer to real life. For decades, financial planning software has been built primarily for professionals. Most tools were designed to help advisers produce forecasts, reports and recommendations. They were never really intended to help individuals understand their own … Continue reading Why Better Financial Decisions Begin with Better Questions
Tag: finance
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?
Why Total Wealth Planning Could Be the Highest Return on Investment You Ever Make
People often ask whether they can justify spending time on Total Wealth Planning. I think they're asking the wrong question. The real question is this: What is the financial cost of not doing it? For decades, financial planning has often been presented as something that helps people "live a better life." That's true. But it … Continue reading Why Total Wealth Planning Could Be the Highest Return on Investment You Ever Make
17 Million Pension Policies. £500 Billion Invested. The FCA Says Many Could Be Poor Value.
The Financial Conduct Authority has issued a clear warning to pension providers. Millions of people holding older unit-linked pension and savings policies may not be receiving fair value. The scale is remarkable. Around 17 million policies. Around £500 billion invested. Many of these products are no longer sold. They sit quietly in the background, often … Continue reading 17 Million Pension Policies. £500 Billion Invested. The FCA Says Many Could Be Poor Value.
Why the Future of Financial Planning Needs More Women (and Fewer Sales Targets)
There has never been a more interesting time for women to enter financial planning. But perhaps there has also never been a more important time to ask a different question. Not simply: "Which firm should I join?" But: "What kind of profession do I want to help build?" Recently, St. James's Place published an article … Continue reading Why the Future of Financial Planning Needs More Women (and Fewer Sales Targets)
Three Bridges, Three Islands, One Journey
Over the years, I have come to realise that the Academy of Life Planning has never really been a place. It has been a series of bridges. When I first started this journey, I thought I was helping planners cross a single divide. On one side stood financial advice. On the other stood financial planning … Continue reading Three Bridges, Three Islands, One Journey
Is the Future of Wealth Management About Managing Portfolios — or Helping People Convert Their Whole Life into Agency, Ownership and Opportunity?
The recent launch of Factory Capital provides an interesting glimpse into the future of wealth management. On the surface, it is another wealth advisory firm entering the market. Dig a little deeper, however, and something more significant emerges. Factory Capital has not positioned itself primarily around investment selection, portfolio construction or retirement planning. Instead, it … Continue reading Is the Future of Wealth Management About Managing Portfolios — or Helping People Convert Their Whole Life into Agency, Ownership and Opportunity?
Is AI Making Investors More Reckless — or More Capable?
If AI is already influencing how affluent investors research, assess and feel about risk, is the real question whether advisers can control its use — or whether they can help clients use it wisely while keeping final agency with the individual? HSBC’s research suggests AI is no longer peripheral. Among nearly 10,000 affluent and high-net-worth … Continue reading Is AI Making Investors More Reckless — or More Capable?
The finance curse is devouring the UK
Is the Finance Industry Devouring the UK Economy — or Have We Forgotten What Creates Wealth? A recent article by Prem Sikka asks a provocative question: has Britain's obsession with finance come at the expense of the real economy? It is a question worth asking. For decades, successive governments have treated the financial services sector … Continue reading The finance curse is devouring the UK
A Trusted Adviser Stole £2 Million. What Should We Learn?
A financial adviser has just been jailed for 11 years after defrauding clients, friends, neighbours, and a charity out of almost £2 million. The details are shocking but, sadly, not unique. Timothy "Paul" Barnes was not an anonymous scammer operating from overseas. He was a regulated financial adviser with decades of experience. He held positions … Continue reading A Trusted Adviser Stole £2 Million. What Should We Learn?
Academy of Life Planning 