“Financial capital is only part of the picture. True wealth is the life you build with it.” A question I often get asked is this: What’s the difference between a financial planner and a financial adviser? And what on earth is a “non-intermediating” financial planner? Let me demystify it.At the Academy of Life Planning, we … Continue reading From Product Seller to Purpose Partner: The Rise of the Holistic Wealth Planner
Tag: personal-finance
The Perimeter Prefect: Reclaiming Financial Planning Beyond Regulation
What if the future of financial planning didn’t lie within the rules of a product-based system—but just beyond them? In our recent Masterclass, The Perimeter Prefect, we explored how planners, coaches, and changemakers are redefining financial support outside the regulatory perimeter—offering clarity, empowerment, and purpose without the burden of unnecessary red tape. This isn’t about … Continue reading The Perimeter Prefect: Reclaiming Financial Planning Beyond Regulation
💥 St. James’s Dis-Place
Why Advisers Are Ditching the Old Model for Autonomy, Empowerment, and Purpose “You can’t heal in the same place you got sick.” For years, thousands of financial advisers have been drawn to St. James’s Place (SJP) by the promise of prestige, support, and stability. But behind the glossy brochures and award dinners lies a truth … Continue reading 💥 St. James’s Dis-Place
Retire from the Delegator Firm—And Build an Empowering Firm for the New Age
"Human beings interpret change in different ways—some through logic and evidence, others through intuition, cycles, and symbols. What follows may not resonate with everyone, but for many, the transition from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius offers a compelling lens to understand what's unfolding in finance, politics, and society. Whether literal or … Continue reading Retire from the Delegator Firm—And Build an Empowering Firm for the New Age
🌱 Academy Case Study: From Disillusionment to Planet-Positive Planning
The Five Truths of Trustworthy Advice: The client is the customer — not their money. You plan the client before you plan the money— in a productive cycle. You model total wealth — human and financial capital — against lifetime liabilities. The goal is not wealth, but whole-person well-being — mind, body, heart, and spirit. … Continue reading 🌱 Academy Case Study: From Disillusionment to Planet-Positive Planning
From Intermediation to Illumination: Reclaiming Financial Agency in the AI Age
We are living in a pivotal moment. A moment where technology has caught up with the promise of true financial empowerment — not through more intermediation, but through decentralised, accessible, person-led solutions. Yet 99% of financial planners still operate as agents of the system, not for the people. They’ve signed agency contracts. Their revenues depend … Continue reading From Intermediation to Illumination: Reclaiming Financial Agency in the AI Age
The Financial Planning Process for Young People: What Changes?
Financial planning for young people is not a simplified version of retiree planning—it’s a different game entirely. With lives marked by constant change, younger clients require a dynamic, adaptive approach grounded in cash flow management, emotional intelligence, and relationship-based service. At the Academy of Life Planning, we use the GAME Plan—a holistic, cyclical process that … Continue reading The Financial Planning Process for Young People: What Changes?
Pension Planning in Limbo: Ethical Advice in the Shadow of Pending Tax Reform
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
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
One Rule for SJP? Why We Must Question Who Teaches Our Children About Money
When your CEO sits on the CityUK Leadership Council and co-authors the Mansion House Accord, what can you get away with? Apparently, quite a lot. If your firm’s fee-for-no-service scandal gets waved away by regulators more interested in growth than justice…If your calls to deregulate are echoed by the Treasury while whistleblower complaints are ignored…If … Continue reading One Rule for SJP? Why We Must Question Who Teaches Our Children About Money
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