Tick, tick, boom. This was the moment they were waiting for. While the government slashes £5 billion from welfare, the insurance industry swoops in with a smile and a business plan. The Income Protection Task Force didn’t miss a beat—they’ve written to the Prime Minister offering to “play a pivotal role” in supporting benefit reforms. … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: The Insurance Industry Pounced
Tag: investing
Become a Holistic Wealth Planning Business: A Future-Ready Encore Career for Financial Professionals
If you’re a financial professional feeling the weight of regulatory pressure, or a corporate adviser ready for a more values-aligned encore career, you’re not alone. Many experienced professionals in finance, particularly those nearing retirement or recovering from burnout, are rethinking their path forward. They’re asking: “Is there a way to use my skills without compromising … Continue reading Become a Holistic Wealth Planning Business: A Future-Ready Encore Career for Financial Professionals
The Fastest Way to Change the System? Stop Fighting It and Build a New One
Buckminster Fuller once said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” That’s exactly what I’ve done throughout my career—and what we’re doing now in financial planning. The Hard Truth About Top-Down Change For years, as an Ambassador for the Transparency … Continue reading The Fastest Way to Change the System? Stop Fighting It and Build a New One
£38 Billion Left on the Table: Are You Sleepwalking Through Your Savings?
What would you do with an extra £38 billion? That’s how much UK savers are missing out on—every single year—by parking their cash in low-interest accounts and failing to shop around. It’s a quiet crisis, and it’s costing us all. The Sleeping Giant in Your Wallet More than £1.3 trillion—yes, trillion—is currently sitting in accounts … Continue reading £38 Billion Left on the Table: Are You Sleepwalking Through Your Savings?
Ministers Are the Biggest Asset Hooverers in Britain
And guess whose pensions they’re vacuuming up? Yours. It’s official. The people running the country have been taking notes from the investment sales industry. Step one? Consolidate as many pension pots as you can. Step two? Treat them like your own personal piggy bank. Step three? Dip into them to fund big-ticket infrastructure dreams—with zero … Continue reading Ministers Are the Biggest Asset Hooverers in Britain
Bonuses Before Basics: The SJP Scandal That’s Hiding in Plain Sight
If you ever needed proof that financial performance doesn’t always mean good value for clients, look no further than St. James’s Place (SJP). While their customers face eye-watering charges, poor-performing funds, and a mountain of adviser debt, those at the top are cashing in—big time. A Bonus Bonanza at the Top In 2024, SJP’s new … Continue reading Bonuses Before Basics: The SJP Scandal That’s Hiding in Plain Sight
Is SJP the New Bitcoin? How Adviser Debt Became the Next Bubble
What do SJP advisers and Bitcoin investors have in common? More than you’d think. In the world of crypto, every four years the market goes wild. Bitcoin’s supply is halved, prices spike, and whales (big investors) offload their holdings to unsuspecting krill (small investors) caught up in the hype. The result? Those in the know … Continue reading Is SJP the New Bitcoin? How Adviser Debt Became the Next Bubble
Annuities Are Back—And They Might Just Break the Advice Industry
Big changes are coming to retirement planning—and fast. If you’ve been paying ongoing fees to a financial adviser to manage your pension pot, you might want to take a closer look. Why? Because soaring annuity rates and the Chancellor’s raid on inherited pensions could combine to blow a hole in the traditional "assets under management" … Continue reading Annuities Are Back—And They Might Just Break the Advice Industry
Competitor Analysis of Non-FCA Regulated Financial Planners (UK & International with UK Presence)
1. Identification of Competitors Direct Competitors (Non-FCA Regulated Financial Planners): These are firms offering holistic financial planning without intermediating product sales. They provide advice-only or life planning services and do not act as introducers to regulated advisers (i.e. they are not merely lead generators). Key examples include: Second Life Financial Planning (UK): A newly launched … Continue reading Competitor Analysis of Non-FCA Regulated Financial Planners (UK & International with UK Presence)
Dodgy Advice and a Land-Banking Scam: Lessons from the Asset Land Case
Think twice before trusting “advice” from someone who’s also selling you an investment. It might sound convenient – your adviser has a perfect opportunity just for you – but that double role can hide huge conflicts of interest. The £21 million Asset Land Investment scandal is a prime example. Investors were lured by salespeople posing … Continue reading Dodgy Advice and a Land-Banking Scam: Lessons from the Asset Land Case
Academy of Life Planning 