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
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The Evidence That Went Missing: One Business Owner’s Fight for Answers from Lloyds, Police and Regulators
In 2013, a Norfolk business owner walked into his bank with a concern. He believed something was wrong inside his own company accounts—potential fraud, possibly involving a senior employee. He expected support. Instead, he says, the system turned against him. What followed is a 12-year battle involving allegations of unauthorised payments, missing evidence, regulatory inaction, … Continue reading The Evidence That Went Missing: One Business Owner’s Fight for Answers from Lloyds, Police and Regulators
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
Beyond Regulation: Bringing Consumer Agency Upstream of Harm
The growing momentum behind calls for reform of the UK’s financial regulatory system reflects a shared and increasingly urgent concern: the framework designed to protect consumers is not consistently delivering on its promise. Recent discussions across parliamentary groups, industry forums, and advocacy bodies have rightly focused on questions of accountability, oversight, and enforcement. These are … Continue reading Beyond Regulation: Bringing Consumer Agency Upstream of Harm
When the System Falls Silent: What Hunger Strikes Teach Us About Supporting Victims of Financial Exploitation
By Steve Conley – Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation) There is a moment, rarely spoken about, that sits quietly at the edge of financial harm. It is not the moment of loss.Not the complaint.Not even the rejection. It is the moment when a person concludes: “There is nowhere left to turn.” From that point … Continue reading When the System Falls Silent: What Hunger Strikes Teach Us About Supporting Victims of Financial Exploitation
The Return of Agency: How AI Changes the Balance of Power in Financial Services
Last summer, the UK Supreme Court confirmed something many in the industry had long argued for: Credit brokers do not owe a fiduciary duty to their customers. For some, that was a legal clarification.For others, it was a line in the sand. Because stripped back to its essence, the ruling reinforced a simple reality: The … Continue reading The Return of Agency: How AI Changes the Balance of Power in Financial Services
Another Redress Scheme, Another Compromise: When Justice Becomes a Calculation
The UK’s financial watchdog has drawn a clear line in the sand. Consumers who pursue car finance claims through the courts may be excluded from the Financial Conduct Authority’s £9.1bn redress scheme. The message is unmistakable: accept the scheme, or take your chances elsewhere. [Source: Financial Times | Go to court and lose out on … Continue reading Another Redress Scheme, Another Compromise: When Justice Becomes a Calculation
Another SIPP Firm Declared in Default — But the Real Failure Happened Years Earlier
By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning The declaration that Heritage Pensions has been placed “in default” by the FSCS will be presented, in many quarters, as closure. A line drawn.A system working as intended.A safety net doing its job. But for those living with the consequences, this is not closure. It is confirmation. … Continue reading Another SIPP Firm Declared in Default — But the Real Failure Happened Years Earlier
When Justice Doesn’t Come: The Hidden Identity Crisis Behind Financial Harm
Not everyone who loses money loses their life. But some do. Not because of the money. Because they cannot find a way to live as the person they have become. The Loss No One Sees When people experience financial harm—especially through betrayal, mis-selling, or institutional failure—the visible loss is measured in pounds. But beneath that … Continue reading When Justice Doesn’t Come: The Hidden Identity Crisis Behind Financial Harm
Why Financial Harm Keeps Happening — and What People Can Do Before It Does
A new report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Investment Fraud and Fairer Financial Services has triggered an important national conversation. The report — “Why Our Financial Conduct Regulation Needs Reforming” — brings together years of evidence suggesting that the UK’s financial conduct regulation system may not be working as well as it … Continue reading Why Financial Harm Keeps Happening — and What People Can Do Before It Does
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