How the “Targeted Support” era reshapes justice for victims of financial harm 🧩 Introduction: When Protection Becomes Permission The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) — long seen as the last resort for ordinary consumers — is quietly transforming. Beneath the headlines of “operational efficiencies” and “targeted support,” we’re witnessing the reshaping of Britain’s financial justice landscape. … Continue reading FOS Reforms: Why Citizen Investigators Must Step Forward Now
Tag: health
🤖 When Algorithms Deny Humanity: The AI Arms Race in Health Insurance — and What It Teaches Us About Financial Justice
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning In the United States this winter, a quiet war is unfolding in the world of health insurance.It’s not between doctors and patients, or even between insurers and regulators.It’s between two algorithms. One denies life-saving treatment.The other fights back. This “AI arms race” is reshaping the boundaries of … Continue reading 🤖 When Algorithms Deny Humanity: The AI Arms Race in Health Insurance — and What It Teaches Us About Financial Justice
Key lessons for a Holistic Wealth Planner
Here are the key lessons for a Holistic Wealth Planner from “Human Capital, Poverty, and Income Distribution in Developing Countries” by Minh Quang Dao (Journal of Economic Studies, 2008). 🌱 1. Human Capital is the True Engine of Wealth The study confirms that improvements in education, health, and nutrition directly reduce poverty and inequality. For … Continue reading Key lessons for a Holistic Wealth Planner
When Auditors Pass and Workers Pay: What the Wilko Collapse Tells Us About a Captured System
When Wilko collapsed in 2023, 12,000 people lost their jobs.The auditors didn’t. The advisers didn’t. The owners didn’t. In a single hearing of the UK Parliament’s Business and Trade Committee in November 2023, Professor Atul K. Shah quietly confirmed what many workers already felt in their bones: the system did not fail by accident. It … Continue reading When Auditors Pass and Workers Pay: What the Wilko Collapse Tells Us About a Captured System
AI, Evidence, and the Turning Tide: How Ordinary People Are Finally Winning Against Extraordinary Power
Some stories mark a shift in the landscape — and last night’s session delivered another one. John stood up and shared something remarkable. Just four weeks ago he was overwhelmed. Thirty-five years’ worth of paperwork, emails, and documents sat in boxes, impossible to decipher, impossible to articulate. He knew he was right, but like so … Continue reading AI, Evidence, and the Turning Tide: How Ordinary People Are Finally Winning Against Extraordinary Power
🧭 Affordability or Opportunity? Rethinking Why Older Workers Keep Working
By Steve Conley – Academy of Life Planning When new research tells us that “older Londoners can’t afford to retire,” it’s worth pausing to ask: is that really the full story? According to data analysed by Bower Home Finance, seven of the UK’s top ten areas where people over 65 remain in work are in … Continue reading 🧭 Affordability or Opportunity? Rethinking Why Older Workers Keep Working
🌱 Lessons for Holistic Wealth Planners from the Science of Spiritual Well-Being
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning In the quest to understand what truly makes life fulfilling, psychology has long focused on the concept of subjective well-being — how people evaluate the quality of their own lives. For decades, this field has measured happiness through domains such as health, relationships, safety, and community connection. But … Continue reading 🌱 Lessons for Holistic Wealth Planners from the Science of Spiritual Well-Being
The Birth of the Holistic Wealth Planner
The Birth of the Holistic Wealth Planner How a conversation with Don MacIntyre helped name a movement. A Profession at a Crossroads In the autumn of 2024, I reconnected with Don MacIntyre, then Chief Executive of the Personal Finance Society (PFS). The profession was in flux. Questions were rising about integrity, independence, and identity. Was … Continue reading The Birth of the Holistic Wealth Planner
When Oversight Becomes Obstruction: What Evidence Suggests About the Financial Ombudsman Service
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) was created to be the independent referee — the place where consumers could seek justice when financial firms failed them. Its role is vital: to provide fairness, transparency, and accountability in a sector where trust is already fragile. Yet evidence suggests a troubling pattern of behaviour inside the organisation. Instead … Continue reading When Oversight Becomes Obstruction: What Evidence Suggests About the Financial Ombudsman Service
Building Futures in El Salvador: How Life Planning is Driving Social Transformation
In late 2023, the government of El Salvador created a new national institution — the Dirección de Integración — with a bold mission: to strengthen social inclusion, reduce poverty, and foster a culture of integration across the country. At the heart of this initiative is the ADN Program on Poverty and the Culture of Integration, … Continue reading Building Futures in El Salvador: How Life Planning is Driving Social Transformation
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