“Advice is not exempt because it feels valuable. Exemption applies because the law says it does.” In the world of financial services, there’s a persistent (and often convenient) misunderstanding: that all financial advice is VAT-exempt. It isn’t. And it’s time we stopped pretending otherwise. As someone working to empower consumers and advisers alike through transparency … Continue reading 💼 VAT and Financial Advice: Let’s Get Honest
Tag: investing
Beyond the Growth Agenda: 86% Wealthy Brits Are Already Choosing Empowerment Over Extraction
A recent study reveals a telling statistic: 86% of UK adults with over £100,000 in investable assets are not using a financial adviser. That’s more than 16 million people, rejecting delegation and choosing empowerment. And yet, the financial establishment continues to frame this as a “missed opportunity” — not for the people, but for the … Continue reading Beyond the Growth Agenda: 86% Wealthy Brits Are Already Choosing Empowerment Over Extraction
Run-On, Not Run-Off: Why It’s Time to Reclaim Our Pensions from the Insurance Industry
“There comes a point where silence becomes betrayal.” — Martin Luther King Jr. For decades, workplace pension schemes have promised security in retirement. But behind the scenes, a silent transfer of power—and profit—is taking place. Defined Benefit (DB) pension schemes, once the gold standard of retirement provision, are being sold off en masse to life … Continue reading Run-On, Not Run-Off: Why It’s Time to Reclaim Our Pensions from the Insurance Industry
The Growth Agenda Is Just Asset Hoovering—Now with Government Backing
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning “They call it growth. We call it extraction.” The Mansion House Accord is being hailed as a visionary step towards unlocking investment in the UK’s future. In reality, it’s a familiar game repackaged. We’ve seen this before in financial advice—now it’s the government’s turn to get a … Continue reading The Growth Agenda Is Just Asset Hoovering—Now with Government Backing
The Growth Agenda: Asset Hoovering by Another Name
Why Deregulation Isn’t Growth—It’s Extraction, Repackaged “You can’t regulate for trust by dismantling the brakes.” In the wake of the Mansion House reforms, a familiar story is unfolding. The government’s so-called growth agenda is, in truth, a revival of the old Piscean order—an extractive financial system masquerading as economic progress. It’s not about real innovation … Continue reading The Growth Agenda: Asset Hoovering by Another Name
Is It Time to Leave St. James’s Place? Discover a New Path in Financial Planning
Are you an SJP adviser feeling the pressure?Or do you know someone stuck in that system—frustrated, exhausted, conflicted? If so, you’re not alone.And there is another way. ✅ Let’s start with two simple questions: Do you want to run a planning business built around your values, not someone else’s targets? Do you believe clients deserve … Continue reading Is It Time to Leave St. James’s Place? Discover a New Path in Financial Planning
Who Guards the Guardians? The FCA, Money Box, and the Disappearing Line Between Advocacy and Sales
“Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets.”— Kevin Plank It began, as many things do, with a trusted voice on the radio. The BBC’s Money Box has long been a staple of consumer advocacy in Britain — a comforting soundscape of sensible financial advice, delivered with journalistic credibility. But something didn’t sit right … Continue reading Who Guards the Guardians? The FCA, Money Box, and the Disappearing Line Between Advocacy and Sales
From Smoke and Mirrors to Clear Water: Why the SJP Fee Revamp Is Too Little, Too Late
“We do not see the world as it is. We see the world as we are.”— Anaïs Nin Today, St. James’s Place (SJP) made front-page news in Telegraph Money, announcing the long-awaited revamp of its fee structure. The message? Transparency. Value. Reform. The truth? An illusion of change designed to protect a model under pressure—not … Continue reading From Smoke and Mirrors to Clear Water: Why the SJP Fee Revamp Is Too Little, Too Late
How to Manage Your Finances in the Age of Aquarius
“The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.” We are standing at the threshold of a new financial era. The Age of Pisces—marked by hierarchy, dependence, and delegation—is giving way to the Age of Aquarius, a time of transparency, empowerment, and self-agency. Nowhere is this shift more … Continue reading How to Manage Your Finances in the Age of Aquarius
Keep It Simple — And Boring: Why Private Markets Don’t Belong in Your Pension
“Complexity is not a solution. It's a smokescreen.”— Steve Conley In July 2025, Donald Trump signed an executive order opening the door for U.S. 401(k) retirement plans to invest more heavily in private markets. On the surface, it’s sold as “democratisation”—letting everyday investors access the same high-return opportunities as institutions. But beneath the rhetoric, this … Continue reading Keep It Simple — And Boring: Why Private Markets Don’t Belong in Your Pension
