When £100,000 Isn’t an Investment but a Debt Trap

Author’s NoteWhenever I publish a critique involving popular brands such as St. James’s Place (SJP), I do so because there is a very real prospect of harm—financial, mental, and emotional—to individuals and their families. Yet the response from brand defenders is often not to address the substance of the critique but to sneer: “But you … Continue reading When £100,000 Isn’t an Investment but a Debt Trap →

Choosing the Harder Road: A Planner’s Pledge to Serve

I became a financial planner because I wanted to help people. Not to sell them things. Not to push them down a funnel. But to see them walk away lighter, more confident, and more in control of their lives. The truth is, that’s harder than it sounds. Our industry is built on the gravitational pull … Continue reading Choosing the Harder Road: A Planner’s Pledge to Serve →

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 →

£10 Trillion in The City — But How Much in Your Pocket?

The Investment Association (IA) has announced that the UK investment management industry has hit a record £10 trillion in assets under management (AUM). City firms are celebrating. Government ministers, keen to push their “growth agenda,” have supported calls for lighter regulation and measures to funnel even more capital their way. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: … Continue reading £10 Trillion in The City — But How Much in Your Pocket? →

Inheritance Tax Raid Rumours: When “Warm Hands” and “Cold Hands” Make No Difference

The government is once again rumoured to be eyeing the assets of those who have worked hard all their lives—this time by tightening inheritance tax (IHT) rules. According to reports in the Times today, Treasury officials are exploring measures that could make it harder for people to pass on wealth to their children without a … Continue reading Inheritance Tax Raid Rumours: When “Warm Hands” and “Cold Hands” Make No Difference →

The Plot Twist: Option 5 – Retire from Regulation, Not from Clients

When financial advisers start thinking about stepping back, the conversation is usually framed around the “big exit.” Consolidators, phased buyouts, successors — the market is full of templates for selling up. But what if you could cash in your business without cashing out on the relationships that matter most? What if you could have your … Continue reading The Plot Twist: Option 5 – Retire from Regulation, Not from Clients →

Why Human Capital Strategies Are the Missing Piece in Most Financial Plans – And How You Can Try Them for Just £4.99

After decades in financial planning, I’ve noticed a surprising gap in even the most experienced advisers’ toolkits: human capital strategies. Many planners I meet still operate under the assumption that financial capital—the money you’ve saved and invested—represents the total picture of wealth. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Over the course of a … Continue reading Why Human Capital Strategies Are the Missing Piece in Most Financial Plans – And How You Can Try Them for Just £4.99 →

🕊️ From Extraction to Creation: Replacing the Piscean Cycle

✝️ The Piscean Age: One Lifetime. One Cycle. One System of Extraction. For over 2,000 years, under the Age of Pisces, society has operated under a singular, extractive lifetime model—mandated by institutions that benefit from your compliance and contribution. This is how it goes: Accumulate wealth through your working years, and hand it over to … Continue reading 🕊️ From Extraction to Creation: Replacing the Piscean Cycle →

Why a Financial Life Coach Is Not What You Think — And Exactly What You Might Need

When people hear the term Financial Life Coach, they often picture someone poring over their bank statements, telling them to stop buying lattes, or helping them unpack childhood money trauma. That’s not what we do.Not at the Academy of Life Planning. Not even close. We’re not therapists.We’re not financial advisers.We’re not product pushers, budget cops, … Continue reading Why a Financial Life Coach Is Not What You Think — And Exactly What You Might Need →

🌊 From Exhaustion to Empowerment: Why It’s Time to Flip the Financial Script

"This is an excellent tool! I am going to use it with my clients as part of my process. Thank you so much for making it available to us, you are very generous." Kaya Taylor, FCMA CGMA MCSI, Chartered Management Accountant and Holistic Financial Planner. And how you can get the Done-By-You GAME Plan template today … Continue reading 🌊 From Exhaustion to Empowerment: Why It’s Time to Flip the Financial Script →