From Horse and Cart to Ferrari: The Evolution from Traditional Financial Planning to Holistic Wealth Planning

By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning What’s the difference between traditional financial planning and holistic wealth planning? It’s a question I’m often asked, and the answer is both simple and profound. Andy Agathangelou, founder of the Transparency Taskforce and a lifelong veteran of the financial services industry, once described our work together in a … Continue reading From Horse and Cart to Ferrari: The Evolution from Traditional Financial Planning to Holistic Wealth Planning →

From Earnings to Impact: Redefining Human Capital through Holistic Wealth Planning

From Earnings to Impact: Redefining Human Capital through Holistic Wealth Planning By Steve Conley In the conventional world of financial planning, human capital is often reduced to a mathematical abstraction—the present value of future earnings. This narrow view, rooted in neoclassical economic thought, fails to capture the full spectrum of human potential and the expansive … Continue reading From Earnings to Impact: Redefining Human Capital through Holistic Wealth Planning →

Case Study: Empowering Financial Independence After Bereavement

Background Sarah, a 56-year-old widow, approached us in June 2023 following the loss of her husband 18 months prior. In addition to grieving her husband, Sarah had also been a primary caregiver for her father, whom she also lost recently. These life-altering events left her emotionally drained and facing significant financial anxiety. Sarah's late husband … Continue reading Case Study: Empowering Financial Independence After Bereavement →

Your Money or Your Life: The Insurance Industry Pounced

Tick, tick, boom. This was the moment they were waiting for. While the government slashes £5 billion from welfare, the insurance industry swoops in with a smile and a business plan. The Income Protection Task Force didn’t miss a beat—they’ve written to the Prime Minister offering to “play a pivotal role” in supporting benefit reforms. … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: The Insurance Industry Pounced →

Become a Holistic Wealth Planning Business: A Future-Ready Encore Career for Financial Professionals

If you’re a financial professional feeling the weight of regulatory pressure, or a corporate adviser ready for a more values-aligned encore career, you’re not alone. Many experienced professionals in finance, particularly those nearing retirement or recovering from burnout, are rethinking their path forward. They’re asking: “Is there a way to use my skills without compromising … Continue reading Become a Holistic Wealth Planning Business: A Future-Ready Encore Career for Financial Professionals →

The Fastest Way to Change the System? Stop Fighting It and Build a New One

Buckminster Fuller once said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” That’s exactly what I’ve done throughout my career—and what we’re doing now in financial planning. The Hard Truth About Top-Down Change For years, as an Ambassador for the Transparency … Continue reading The Fastest Way to Change the System? Stop Fighting It and Build a New One →

£38 Billion Left on the Table: Are You Sleepwalking Through Your Savings?

What would you do with an extra £38 billion? That’s how much UK savers are missing out on—every single year—by parking their cash in low-interest accounts and failing to shop around. It’s a quiet crisis, and it’s costing us all. The Sleeping Giant in Your Wallet More than £1.3 trillion—yes, trillion—is currently sitting in accounts … Continue reading £38 Billion Left on the Table: Are You Sleepwalking Through Your Savings? →

Ministers Are the Biggest Asset Hooverers in Britain

And guess whose pensions they’re vacuuming up? Yours. It’s official. The people running the country have been taking notes from the investment sales industry. Step one? Consolidate as many pension pots as you can. Step two? Treat them like your own personal piggy bank. Step three? Dip into them to fund big-ticket infrastructure dreams—with zero … Continue reading Ministers Are the Biggest Asset Hooverers in Britain →

Bonuses Before Basics: The SJP Scandal That’s Hiding in Plain Sight

If you ever needed proof that financial performance doesn’t always mean good value for clients, look no further than St. James’s Place (SJP). While their customers face eye-watering charges, poor-performing funds, and a mountain of adviser debt, those at the top are cashing in—big time. A Bonus Bonanza at the Top In 2024, SJP’s new … Continue reading Bonuses Before Basics: The SJP Scandal That’s Hiding in Plain Sight →

Is SJP the New Bitcoin? How Adviser Debt Became the Next Bubble

What do SJP advisers and Bitcoin investors have in common? More than you’d think. In the world of crypto, every four years the market goes wild. Bitcoin’s supply is halved, prices spike, and whales (big investors) offload their holdings to unsuspecting krill (small investors) caught up in the hype. The result? Those in the know … Continue reading Is SJP the New Bitcoin? How Adviser Debt Became the Next Bubble →