The latest complaints data from the Financial Conduct Authority presents a superficially reassuring picture. Complaint volumes remain broadly stable at 1.87 million. The proportion of complaints upheld has declined. Total redress has fallen. Average compensation per case is lower. Taken together, these figures might suggest a system gradually improving—firms resolving issues earlier, fewer serious failings … Continue reading FCA Complaints Data: A System Improving—or a System Reframing the Numbers?
Tag: technology
The Pipeline Question: Are We Building a Profession—or Feeding a System?
By Steve Conley In April 2026, the Personal Finance Society (PFS) announced that it had achieved a significant milestone: more than 500 new entrants recruited into its Pathway to the Profession initiative. Backed by a £1 million investment from PFS, the programme has been positioned as a bold step forward—lowering barriers to entry, widening participation, … Continue reading The Pipeline Question: Are We Building a Profession—or Feeding a System?
Restoring Human Agency—Before, During, and After Financial Harm
By the Academy of Life Planning | http://www.academyoflifeplanning.com A Total Wealth Planner is someone who has restored their human agency—able to think clearly, act independently, and navigate life, money, and uncertainty without reliance on structurally untrustworthy systems. The Gap We’ve Been Designing Around For decades, financial planning has been framed as a service delivered at … Continue reading Restoring Human Agency—Before, During, and After Financial Harm
Restoring Human Agency in a Structurally Untrustworthy World
Restoring Human Agency in a Structurally Untrustworthy World A Total Wealth Planner is someone who has restored their human agency—able to think clearly, act independently, and navigate life, money, and uncertainty without reliance on structurally untrustworthy systems. The Problem We Rarely Name We live in a world where trust is assumed—but too often misplaced. Financial … Continue reading Restoring Human Agency in a Structurally Untrustworthy World
AI Can Cut Advice Admin to Seconds — But That’s Not the Real Story
By Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning A recent industry piece featuring Bravura Solutions makes a bold claim: artificial intelligence could reduce core adviser tasks from hours to seconds. They’re right. But they’re also missing the point. This is not an efficiency story.It’s a structural shift in who holds power, who makes decisions, and what … Continue reading AI Can Cut Advice Admin to Seconds — But That’s Not the Real Story
When Judges Use AI… What It Means for You
There’s been a quiet but important shift in the UK courts. Senior judges are now openly using artificial intelligence as part of their day-to-day work. Not to decide cases—but to improve clarity, reduce error, and increase efficiency. That matters. Because it shows where AI is genuinely useful—and where the boundaries still sit. The judiciary has … Continue reading When Judges Use AI… What It Means for You
Renewal or Recycling? What Falling Adviser Age Really Signals
The industry is celebrating. A younger adviser profile.More academy entrants.A narrative of “renewal.” On the surface, it sounds like progress. For over a decade, the average UK adviser has been around 57–58.Recent data suggests that’s now falling into the late 40s—but with half the profession still over 50 and fewer than 6% under 30, this … Continue reading Renewal or Recycling? What Falling Adviser Age Really Signals
From Dependency to Agency: Using AI to Unlock Human Potential
There was a time—not long ago—when access to knowledge was the preserve of institutions. If you wanted expertise, you went to the expert.If you wanted guidance, you deferred to authority.If you wanted to make a major life decision, you were expected to rely on someone else to interpret complexity on your behalf. That model shaped … Continue reading From Dependency to Agency: Using AI to Unlock Human Potential
Agentic AI Won’t Close the Advice Gap — It Will Expose It
There’s a quiet shift happening in financial services. AI firms are now building what they call “agentic operating systems”—platforms designed to automate workflows, increase adviser capacity, and scale advice delivery. On the surface, it sounds like progress. And to be fair—technically—it is. But strategically? It may be solving the wrong problem entirely. The Industry’s Framing: … Continue reading Agentic AI Won’t Close the Advice Gap — It Will Expose It
Why our contract is designed to protect you—not trap you
By the Academy of Life Planning The uncomfortable truth about most contracts Most contracts in financial services aren’t written for you. They’re written: to protect the provider to reduce liability to lock in revenue And too often, they rely on: complexity inertia and the assumption that you won’t read them That’s not a criticism of … Continue reading Why our contract is designed to protect you—not trap you
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