Tag: life

Why agency matters now: build the ark before the rain

By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning Most people do not wake up wanting financial advice. They wake up wondering whether they can afford to leave a job. Whether retirement is possible. How to help their children without putting their own future at risk. What to do when an institution they trusted lets them … Continue reading Why agency matters now: build the ark before the rain →

A Family Office Without Handing Over the Controls

Our second TFO Friday explored how more families could access joined-up professional support—and remain firmly in charge. By Steve Conley | Academy of Life Planning | 23 October 2026 A family can have a financial planner, an accountant and a solicitor—and still find that nobody is joining everything together. Each professional understands part of the … Continue reading A Family Office Without Handing Over the Controls →

You can have more money and still feel that something is missing

Introducing the Total Wealth Wheel — free to use You can have a healthy bank balance and no time to enjoy it. A successful career and relationships that rarely get your attention. A carefully planned retirement and little idea what you want to retire into. We recognise these situations. Yet when we talk about wealth, … Continue reading You can have more money and still feel that something is missing →

T.F.O friday: Building a Total Family Office for Every Family

Most families have pieces of a plan. Few have a plan that connects the pieces. A pension here. A mortgage there. A will written years ago. An ageing parent who may need care. Children finding their feet. Perhaps a business, a property, or responsibilities shared across generations. Each part may have received attention. But who … Continue reading T.F.O friday: Building a Total Family Office for Every Family →

A £50 meeting with Steve Conley

A £50 meeting with Steve Conley "I need experienced help with a specific decision, without signing up to an ongoing advice relationship." If that sounds like you, this meeting is for you. About 50 minutes, £50, one conversation about the thing that matters right now. Most of the questions people bring are an 18-month problem, … Continue reading A £50 meeting with Steve Conley →

Having money is one thing. Having a say is another.

Introducing the Academy’s new Financial Activation Scorecard You can have a pension, savings and a financial adviser—and still feel unsure what you own, why you own it or what to do next. You can also have very little money and be actively making decisions, asking useful questions and taking steps towards a life that matters … Continue reading Having money is one thing. Having a say is another. →

“I now know where I’m going”: early feedback on Get ICE

“I now know where I’m going”: early feedback on Get ICE There is a moment in planning when the question changes. You begin with “What am I going to do?” and find yourself asking “What shall I do first?” One of the first people to try Get ICE described that shift in a comment this … Continue reading “I now know where I’m going”: early feedback on Get ICE →

Your Plan. Your OS. Your Support.

Introducing the new Total Wealth Planner website—and a practical model of planning we can build together A great deal of financial planning still begins with a professional asking for your information. You complete a fact-find. They build a plan in their system. You receive a report. Then life changes, and you may need the professional … Continue reading Your Plan. Your OS. Your Support. →