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
Tag: politics
“Putting Profits Before People”: Lords Demand FOS Rollback to Serve the Growth Agenda
“Justice should never be an obstacle to growth. But neither should growth be a justification for erasing justice.” Yesterday’s report from the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee confirms what many of us have suspected: consumer advocacy is once again under threat—not by accident, but by design. In a sweeping call for reform, the … Continue reading “Putting Profits Before People”: Lords Demand FOS Rollback to Serve the Growth Agenda
Your Money or Your Life: The Regulator That Turned a Blind Eye
For Paul Birch. For every whistleblower they tried to silence. They say justice is blind. But in Paul’s case, the FCA didn’t just close its eyes—it looked the other way. Paul Birch is not a footnote. He’s not an isolated case. He’s a British citizen who played by the rules—who asked for protection and got … Continue reading Your Money or Your Life: The Regulator That Turned a Blind Eye
🔍 Another Regulator. Another Excuse. Another Victim Left Behind.
When the FCA refuses to act on clear evidence of fraud, it’s not just a bureaucratic failure—it’s a betrayal of public trust. Victims like Paul Birch warned the FCA as early as 2017 that a so-called adviser, John Maurice Pye, was fraudulently claiming FCA authorisation. Internal FCA emails acknowledged the evidence. So did the Chartered … Continue reading 🔍 Another Regulator. Another Excuse. Another Victim Left Behind.
The Great Pension Heist: Are Our Retirement Savings Being Looted?
By Steve ConleyFounder, Academy of Life Planning "They say it's putting money in people’s pockets — but like the artful pickpocket, they’re actually taking it out." Today’s unveiling of the UK government’s Pension Schemes Bill has been lauded in headlines as a “game-changer,” a “blockbuster,” even a “revolution” for savers. But scratch beneath the surface … Continue reading The Great Pension Heist: Are Our Retirement Savings Being Looted?
When Silence is Complicity: The Institutional Refusal to Confront Financial Crime
By Steve Conley Founder, Academy of Life Planning | Advocate for Financial Justice Across the Isle of Man and Malta, a disturbing pattern has emerged—one that undermines public trust, discredits regulatory systems, and leaves thousands of victims in the wake of financial devastation. The pattern is this: credible, corroborated claims of financial crime are being … Continue reading When Silence is Complicity: The Institutional Refusal to Confront Financial Crime
The Scandal No One Wants to Own: How My Pension Was Stolen and the System Turned Away
Gary Today Retired British Expat | Pension Justice Advocate | Community Supporter Gary is a retired British national now living in a rural Thai village with his long-term partner and her family. By the way his partners name is Aranya, but everyone calls her Aulie. A former professional who lost everything due to pension fund … Continue reading The Scandal No One Wants to Own: How My Pension Was Stolen and the System Turned Away
The Hollowing of Responsibility: What McGilchrist’s Lectures Reveal About Institutional Failure in Financial Redress
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning In recent years, countless victims of financial harm have encountered a devastating pattern: institutions that once promised protection now offer only deflection. When the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) tells a victim to “contact the Slovakian regulator,” and that regulator says “only in person,” while HMRC claims “we only … Continue reading The Hollowing of Responsibility: What McGilchrist’s Lectures Reveal About Institutional Failure in Financial Redress
Guarding the Rule of Law in the Face of Financial Power: The UK’s Crossroads Moment
By Steve Conley Founder, Academy of Life Planning | Get SAFE | Transparency Task Force Ambassador In today’s political economy, the greatest threats to the rule of law often arise not from overt illegality, but from a deep entanglement between finance and state power—where policy is shaped less by democratic will and more by private … Continue reading Guarding the Rule of Law in the Face of Financial Power: The UK’s Crossroads Moment
The Watchdog Without Teeth: Why the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner Can’t Fix What’s Broken
By Steve Conley When financial regulators fail, where can the public turn? For many, the answer is the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner (FRCC)—the body set up to provide independent redress when the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), or Bank of England act unfairly or ineffectively. But as more victims of regulatory failure … Continue reading The Watchdog Without Teeth: Why the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner Can’t Fix What’s Broken
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