“£674m a year in hidden fees over 14 years. Now ask yourself: what did you receive — and are you due a refund?” The Financial Conduct Authority has reopened a question many assumed had already been settled: Should trail commission still exist? Not for new business—that was addressed in 2012 under the Retail Distribution Review … Continue reading A 14-year silence… now under review
Tag: passive-income
Why Every Total Wealth Plan Must Start with Human Capital
Because without it, you’re not planning wealth—you’re managing decline. For decades, financial planning has focused on one narrow question: “How do we allocate financial capital?” But the research is unequivocal: The primary driver of economic growth, income, and long-term prosperity is not financial capital—it is human capital. And yet… Most financial plans barely acknowledge it. … Continue reading Why Every Total Wealth Plan Must Start with Human Capital
The Missing Asset in Most Cashflow Forecasts
Why Human Capital Belongs at the Heart of Financial Planning Most lifetime cashflow forecasts begin with: Current assets Investment returns Pension projections Inflation assumptions But they often overlook the largest asset on the client’s balance sheet. Human capital. A recent academic review on human capital development reinforces what leading economic theory has argued for decades: … Continue reading The Missing Asset in Most Cashflow Forecasts
When Flexibility Becomes Forgetting: Removing Annual Suitability
Why Removing Annual Suitability Risks Burying the UK’s Fee-for-No-Service Reckoning By Steve ConleyAcademy of Life Planning A trustworthy regulator does not erase the audit trail when the bill is about to fall due. A quiet proposal with loud consequences The Financial Conduct Authority is consulting on removing the requirement for annual suitability reviews for advisers, … Continue reading When Flexibility Becomes Forgetting: Removing Annual Suitability
Why Investing in Yourself Beats Investing in the Market—Especially at 20
The case of Ella Coombs shows how non-intermediating planning unlocks real wealth creation. Case Study Summary: Ella Coombs – The 20-Year-Old Entrepreneur Defying Convention Source: The Telegraph, 8 August 2025 Ella Coombs, aged 20, works three jobs—including managing an RSPCA charity shop—and lives rent-free with her parents. She has earned nearly £10,000 pre-tax in 18 … Continue reading Why Investing in Yourself Beats Investing in the Market—Especially at 20
Your Path to Profit as an Academy Member
From your first affiliate link to running your own full-service practice — here’s how you can earn income while serving clients with integrity. You’ve joined the Academy of Life Planning because you believe in ethical, human-first financial planning. But how do you turn that passion into income? This guide shows you three simple, progressive ways … Continue reading Your Path to Profit as an Academy Member
Human Capital: The Missing Giant in Financial Planning
In financial planning, we talk endlessly about assets under management and portfolio returns. But there’s a bigger, more powerful driver of wealth that rarely makes it into the conversation: human capital. If financial capital is the reservoir where your wealth is stored, human capital is the river that fills it. It is your skills, knowledge, … Continue reading Human Capital: The Missing Giant in Financial Planning
💻 The Death of Intermediation Software Apps in the Age of Empowerment
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning There’s a quiet revolution underway in financial planning—and some legacy tech players are pretending it isn’t happening. As the Age of Aquarius rises, empowerment replaces extraction. People are waking up. And the old guard—the intermediation platforms built for sales agents masquerading as planners—are fading into obsolescence. 🚧 “You’re … Continue reading 💻 The Death of Intermediation Software Apps in the Age of Empowerment
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
100 Human Capital Strategies to Generate Extra Income (No Financial Capital Needed)
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."— Arthur Ashe If you're finding it harder each month to make ends meet — juggling bills, debts, and rising living costs with little or no savings to fall back on — you are not alone. Many … Continue reading 100 Human Capital Strategies to Generate Extra Income (No Financial Capital Needed)
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