Acting on a whistleblower’s information and protecting the person who provides it are different outcomes. Someone facing retaliation needs a plan for both. By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning3 October 2026 At the end of a Transparency Task Force event in July, Simon Andriesz explained what he wanted. An independent investigation. Parliamentary scrutiny. … Continue reading When Speaking Up Costs You Your Life Back: Lessons from Simon Andriesz’s Case
Tag: philosophy
Labour Must Recognise the Old Market Mantra—Even When It Calls Itself “Holistic Planning”
Bringing back bancassurance will not, by itself, rebalance power towards ordinary people. Banks should be judged by the agency they build, not just the assets they gather. By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning30 September 2026 A bank announces that it wants to return to advice in a “massive way”. Its executive tells Labour … Continue reading Labour Must Recognise the Old Market Mantra—Even When It Calls Itself “Holistic Planning”
Human Capital Is Not a Salary: Lessons for Total Wealth Planners
Abstract Conventional financial planning commonly treats labour income as an input into a financial model while concentrating the substantive analysis on accumulated financial capital. Human capital theory suggests that this reverses the economic relationship for many households. Knowledge, skills, experience, health, adaptability and productive capacity constitute forms of capital that may generate income, enhance resilience … Continue reading Human Capital Is Not a Salary: Lessons for Total Wealth Planners
You Cannot Plan With a Portfolio Alone
A client says she wants to retrain. The conventional planning question is: Can she afford the course? That matters. But it is only one part of the decision. Can she afford the time away from paid work? Is her health holding up? Who depends on her income? Is the training accessible from where she lives? … Continue reading You Cannot Plan With a Portfolio Alone
The Missing Citizen Layer in Financial Crime Prevention
The UK is preparing to prove that its institutions can fight financial crime. But who is helping the citizen? The UK is preparing for its 2027 evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force—the global body that assesses how effectively countries combat money laundering and terrorist financing. A July 2026 report from the RUSI UK FATF … Continue reading The Missing Citizen Layer in Financial Crime Prevention
When the Establishment Gives the Prime Minister His Orders
Britain does need growth. But we may have spent too long asking the wrong people what growth means. Something revealing happened this week. Britain had a new Prime Minister. And almost immediately, the financial establishment began telling him what he was allowed to do. Andy Burnham was warned that unless he restrained public spending, Britain … Continue reading When the Establishment Gives the Prime Minister His Orders
The Age of Aquarius Is Not Something That Happens to Us. It Is Something We Build.
Restoring human agency in the age of AI For most of human history, power has followed scarcity. If knowledge was scarce, those who possessed knowledge held power. If capital was scarce, those who controlled capital held power. If access to markets, institutions, law, medicine, education or professional expertise was scarce, the organisations controlling that access … Continue reading The Age of Aquarius Is Not Something That Happens to Us. It Is Something We Build.
Different Tradition. Same Human Journey: What The Four Agreements Reveals About the GAME Plan
Yesterday, a conversation among Academy members began with a book recommendation. Geoff Dyckes had just finished The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz, which presents what Ruiz describes as Toltec wisdom as a practical route towards personal freedom. That prompted an interesting discussion. The language was different. But the journey felt remarkably familiar. Ruiz talks … Continue reading Different Tradition. Same Human Journey: What The Four Agreements Reveals About the GAME Plan
Britain’s Biggest Untapped Asset Is Its People
How AI could convert dormant human capital into sustainable livelihoods, economic growth and higher tax revenues Abstract The United Kingdom faces an unusual labour-market problem at both ends of the working-age spectrum. In early 2026, approximately 1.012 million people aged 16–24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET), equivalent to 13.5% of the age … Continue reading Britain’s Biggest Untapped Asset Is Its People
Vulnerability Should Trigger Support, Not Dependency
What disability rights, FCA regulation and financial planning can teach us about restoring human agency Most people, some of the time, will struggle to make an important decision. Not because they are incapable. Because life happens. Bereavement. Illness. Divorce. Redundancy. Scam victimisation. Retirement. Debt. Cognitive overload. A complex pension decision. A court dispute. A financial … Continue reading Vulnerability Should Trigger Support, Not Dependency
