In every age, a movement emerges to challenge the status quo and offer a better way forward. Today, as the world teeters between crisis and transformation, a quiet revolution is gaining ground—a movement rooted in transparency, empowerment, and justice. We call it the Sovereignty Revolution. At the heart of this revolution is the Academy of … Continue reading 🌍 The Sovereignty Revolution: A New Era in Financial Empowerment Has Arrived
Tag: politics
If Rachel Reeves Were a Financial Adviser, She’d Be Facing an FCA Misconduct Ruling
By Steve Conley | 25 July 2025 If a regulated financial adviser made the claims Rachel Reeves has just made about ISA returns, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) would likely uphold a complaint against them for misleading financial promotion. If not the FCA, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) would surely step in. But when it’s … Continue reading If Rachel Reeves Were a Financial Adviser, She’d Be Facing an FCA Misconduct Ruling
💼 The Three-Headed Lobby: How UK Finance, TheCityUK, and the City of London Corporation Shape the Rules of Extraction
“The system isn’t broken. It was built this way.” If we want to understand why so many financial reforms in Britain benefit institutions over individuals, we must look beyond surface policies to the power structures that design the game. Three key organisations stand at the heart of this architecture: UK Finance, TheCityUK, and the City … Continue reading 💼 The Three-Headed Lobby: How UK Finance, TheCityUK, and the City of London Corporation Shape the Rules of Extraction
🕴️ Who Is Sir Humphrey?
Exposing the Invisible Hand That Keeps the Status Quo in Place “Minister, the ship of state is the only ship that leaks from the top.”—Sir Humphrey Appleby, Yes Minister In the battle for financial reform, it’s not always the elected officials who block change—it’s the quiet, well-dressed figures in the background. The ones who never … Continue reading 🕴️ Who Is Sir Humphrey?
🐷 Hands Off Our Pensions: Why Mandating Investment Isn’t Reform—It’s Raid
By Steve Conley | 9 July 2025 This week, Parliament debated the new Pension Schemes Bill—a bill that, if passed, would allow government ministers to direct how private pension funds are invested. It's being sold as a benign “backstop,” but to many in the profession, it looks less like reform and more like requisition. Bank … Continue reading 🐷 Hands Off Our Pensions: Why Mandating Investment Isn’t Reform—It’s Raid
Last Nail in the Coffin – But for Whom?
Last Nail in the Coffin – But for Whom? “You can’t build a strong economy by hollowing out its people.” As we approach the next Mansion House Speech on July 15, the spotlight once again turns to the cosy relationship between government and City lobbyists. Behind closed doors, the so-called “growth agenda” will be showcased … Continue reading Last Nail in the Coffin – But for Whom?
Dear Nikhil Rathi: A £1.5m Crypto Scam Got 12 Years — But What About £10bn QROPS Fraud?
By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning 👏 Well done, FCA. Two fraudsters who scammed 65 individuals out of £1.5 million through fake crypto investments have rightly been sentenced to a combined 12 years in prison. Justice was swift, public, and commendable. But what about the 40,000 British victims of the QROPS scandal — robbed … Continue reading Dear Nikhil Rathi: A £1.5m Crypto Scam Got 12 Years — But What About £10bn QROPS Fraud?
💥 Beneath the Surface: The SJP Model and the Case for an Alternative
By Steve Conley, Founder, Academy of Life Planning On the surface, St. James’s Place (SJP) projects resilience. Chief executive Mark FitzPatrick told the Financial Times that their revamped fees would “help customers compare and contrast.” The SJP Academy trains half of all new financial advisers in the UK. And with nearly £190 billion in client … Continue reading 💥 Beneath the Surface: The SJP Model and the Case for an Alternative
💥 Exposing Britain’s Dirty Secret: Why I Fight for Transparency in 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 💥 Exposing Britain’s Dirty Secret: Why I Fight for Transparency in the New Age
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
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