Lessons from Adam Smith for Holistic Wealth Planners

Human Capital is the Seed of Prosperity, and Moral Capital is the Soil it Grows In When most people hear the name Adam Smith, they think of the “invisible hand,” free markets, and the birth of capitalism. Yet few recall that the same man who wrote The Wealth of Nations (1776) also wrote The Theory … Continue reading Lessons from Adam Smith for Holistic Wealth Planners →

💡 Why Equal Access to Human Capital Is the New Engine of Growth

Lessons from global research on education, inequality, and empowerment In 2002, economists Amparo Castelló and Rafael Doménech published a groundbreaking study, Human Capital Inequality and Economic Growth, examining data from over a hundred countries between 1960 and 2000. Their findings carry profound implications not just for policymakers — but for us as Holistic Wealth Planners … Continue reading 💡 Why Equal Access to Human Capital Is the New Engine of Growth →

Litigant in Person: How to Survive and Succeed When the System Leaves You on Your Own

By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning & Get SAFE “He who represents himself has a fool for a client.”— Abraham Lincoln Perhaps that was true in the 19th century.But in 2025, with AI, open knowledge, and solidarity between citizen investigators, that saying is being rewritten. ⚖️ A David vs Goliath Battle … Continue reading Litigant in Person: How to Survive and Succeed When the System Leaves You on Your Own →

Get SAFE Community Briefing: Government Review of Opt-Out Collective Actions

Open call for evidence: Opt-out collective actions regime reviewFrom: Department for Business and TradePublished: 6 August 2025Deadline for responses: 11:59pm on 14 October 2025 Why This Matters for Get SAFE For too long, victims of financial exploitation have been forced to battle alone. Individual complaints to regulators, ombudsmen, or the courts can be exhausting, expensive, … Continue reading Get SAFE Community Briefing: Government Review of Opt-Out Collective Actions →

When Bankers Betray Trust: Why Structural Change is Needed

Sometimes I’m accused of being disingenuous when I say, “bankers in general can’t be trusted.” People hear it as a sweeping statement, unfair to the many good people working in finance. Then stories like this one come along. This week, former Co-operative Bank chairman Paul Flowers was ordered by the CPS to repay £184,862 to … Continue reading When Bankers Betray Trust: Why Structural Change is Needed →

London’s Dirty Money Problem: Why Deregulation Is No Growth Strategy

For centuries, London has been the beating heart of global finance. Its history is tied to empire, trade, and innovation. But behind the gleaming towers of the City lies another story—one of greed, capture, and complicity in the flow of dirty money. A recent article by Jochen Ressel traces how London became the world’s dirty … Continue reading London’s Dirty Money Problem: Why Deregulation Is No Growth Strategy →

The Hillsborough Law: What It Means for Survivors and Citizen Investigators

David Lammy told MPs yesterday that he was introducing a “groundbreaking law to ensure that victims and survivors never again have to wait decades for truth and justice” For decades, survivors of state failure—whether Hillsborough, Grenfell, the Post Office Horizon scandal, or pension fraud—have shared a common burden: being lied to, silenced, and abandoned by … Continue reading The Hillsborough Law: What It Means for Survivors and Citizen Investigators →

🌱 Introducing The Empowerment Cohort: Turning Human Capital into Sovereign Living

At the Academy of Life Planning, we’ve always believed that real wealth is not measured in money alone, but in human capital — our skills, passions, networks, creativity, and purpose. Yet too often, financial systems and even “planning” conversations strip people of agency, leaving them dependent, isolated, or defined by what they lack. It doesn’t … Continue reading 🌱 Introducing The Empowerment Cohort: Turning Human Capital into Sovereign Living →

Goliathon: The Battle Mech for Justice

Justice is under siege. Ordinary people are outmatched by systems designed to exhaust, confuse, and intimidate. When faced with bureaucracy, corporate power, or financial exploitation, the individual often feels like a lone foot soldier staring up at a towering machine. That’s why we built Goliathon—a battle mech designed for the citizens’ side of the fight. … Continue reading Goliathon: The Battle Mech for Justice →

Why We Need to Step Into the Battle Mech Against the System

Yesterday, a mural appeared on the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Painted by the street artist Banksy, it depicted a chilling scene: a judge raising a gavel like a weapon over a fallen figure. Within hours, it was covered up. Art has always been a mirror to society — and this image was no … Continue reading Why We Need to Step Into the Battle Mech Against the System →