I remember the exact moment I knew I couldn’t stay silent anymore.There I was—at the top of my game. A senior leader in one of the biggest financial institutions in the UK, steering billions of pounds in investments, sitting at the table with the so-called “movers and shakers.” From the outside, I had it all: … Continue reading Break Free: Why the Future of Financial Planning Starts with You
Tag: personal-finance
Planning the Person, Not the Portfolio: The Future of Financial Life Planning
In the world of traditional financial advice, the focus has too often been on the portfolio rather than the person.The processes of factfinding, risk profiling, and cashflow modelling have been framed as the core of “planning” — yet these steps have been primarily designed to lead clients towards product implementation. At the Academy of Life … Continue reading Planning the Person, Not the Portfolio: The Future of Financial Life Planning
From Patient to Planner: How the Academy of Life Planning Applies NHS Principles to Financial Well-Being
At the Academy of Life Planning, we believe in turning proven healthcare philosophies into powerful financial planning principles. Inspired by the NHS Long Term Plan and the person-centered care model, we’ve developed an approach to wealth that treats individuals not as passive recipients of financial advice, but as active participants in their own prosperity. Just … Continue reading From Patient to Planner: How the Academy of Life Planning Applies NHS Principles to Financial Well-Being
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?
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