By Steve Conley, Founder – Academy of Life Planning "Do we plan for what is, or for what is coming?" It’s a question increasingly asked of financial planners as we edge closer to April 2027—the date when unused pension pots may no longer remain exempt from Inheritance Tax (IHT), following proposals made in the 2024 … Continue reading Pension Planning in Limbo: Ethical Advice in the Shadow of Pending Tax Reform
Tag: investing
From Transaction to Transformation: Why Aegon’s ‘Money:Mindshift’ Campaign Is a Step in the Right Direction
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning Something significant is stirring in the financial services world. This week, Aegon launched its Money:Mindshift campaign — a conscious attempt to challenge the traditional, transactional model of financial advice. Led by Dr Tom Mathar, the campaign invites us to move beyond the numbers and reconnect with what … Continue reading From Transaction to Transformation: Why Aegon’s ‘Money:Mindshift’ Campaign Is a Step in the Right Direction
Are Finfluencers the Real Problem? Or Just the Easier One to Prosecute?
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning When the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) parades its efforts to clamp down on “finfluencers,” we should ask: are they tackling the real threats to financial integrity—or just chasing headlines? On June 10th, FCA Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi appeared before the Treasury Committee, defending the regulator’s proactive stance … Continue reading Are Finfluencers the Real Problem? Or Just the Easier One to Prosecute?
Financial “Growth” Authority: Says “Risk Is Good”? The Language of a Captured Regulator
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning "Risk is good," proclaims the watchdog. But when the guard dog starts wagging its tail at the City, who’s protecting the public? Last week, FT Adviser reports that at the Global Management Summit, Simon Walls—Executive Director of Markets at what is still officially called the Financial Conduct … Continue reading Financial “Growth” Authority: Says “Risk Is Good”? The Language of a Captured Regulator
Financial Education in Schools: Why the Law Must Change
By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning Early Investment: Why Human Capital Matters Most At the Academy of Life Planning, we advocate for a definition of wealth that goes beyond bank balances. The CFA Institute’s 2024 study Lifetime Financial Advice: A Personalized Optimal Multilevel Approach defines total wealth as: Total Wealth = … Continue reading Financial Education in Schools: Why the Law Must Change
The Great Pension Heist: Are Our Retirement Savings Being Looted?
By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning "They say it's putting money in people’s pockets — but like the artful pickpocket, they’re actually taking it out." Today’s unveiling of the UK government’s Pension Schemes Bill has been lauded in headlines as a “game-changer,” a “blockbuster,” even a “revolution” for savers. But scratch beneath the surface … Continue reading The Great Pension Heist: Are Our Retirement Savings Being Looted?
The Great Advice Divide: Why Boomers Delegate and Zillennials Demand Empowerment
💸 £5.5 trillion is about to walk out the door. That’s the estimated value of assets traditional advice firms could lose over the next decade as wealth transfers from Boomers to Zillennials. "The future doesn’t belong to those who manage wealth—it belongs to those who know how to grow it, use it, and share it … Continue reading The Great Advice Divide: Why Boomers Delegate and Zillennials Demand Empowerment
From Down Under to the FTSE: SJP Practice Valuations Echo AMP’s Collapse
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning The latest revelations in FT adviser about St. James’s Place (SJP) practice valuations bring into sharp focus the vulnerability of advisers operating under vertically integrated models. The reported 45% drop in practice values within SJP’s internal Business Sale and Purchase (BSP) scheme mirrors what happened at AMP in … Continue reading From Down Under to the FTSE: SJP Practice Valuations Echo AMP’s Collapse
Your Money or Your Life: When a Growth Agenda Becomes a Wrecking Ball
In memory of every family business under siege.For every next-generation entrepreneur told there's no room left for you. They call it a growth agenda.They tell you they’re rebuilding Britain.They wave the flag of fiscal responsibility. But look closer. This isn’t a growth agenda—it’s a controlled demolition. Taxes are rising. Wealth is fleeing. Public finances are … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: When a Growth Agenda Becomes a Wrecking Ball
Our Pensions Are Not the Government’s Piggy Bank
Why the Mansion House Accord Smells Like Pension Mis-Selling on a Massive Scale Imagine if a regulated financial adviser recommended a client invest billions into high-risk, opaque assets—without a clear evidence base, performance history, or full disclosure of costs. They’d be hauled before the regulator. But when the government does it, it’s labelled a “growth … Continue reading Our Pensions Are Not the Government’s Piggy Bank
