Why incumbents should be wary — and why citizens should be cautious In 2012, I left banking. Not because I fell out of love with financial planning — quite the opposite — but because the banks had fallen out of love with advice. The exit of the major banks from bancassurance following the Retail Distribution … Continue reading Banks Are Back in Advice — But Nothing Fundamental Has Changed
Tag: total-wealth-planning
Why Human Capital Must Sit at the Heart of a Total Wealth Plan
What the evidence really tells planners at the bridge For many financial planners, the journey toward Total Wealth Planning begins with a quiet but uncomfortable realisation: “I’m excellent at modelling money — but that’s no longer where the real risk or opportunity sits.” This is not a philosophical concern. It is now an evidence-based one. … Continue reading Why Human Capital Must Sit at the Heart of a Total Wealth Plan
Standing at the Bridge: Why Modern Financial Planning Must Learn to Stress-Test Lives, Not Just Markets
Many experienced financial planners find themselves standing at a bridge they didn’t set out to reach. They haven’t rejected financial planning.They haven’t “fallen out of love” with professionalism, rigour, or client care. Yet something feels increasingly misaligned. The tools still work — but the world they were built for no longer exists. Clients are more … Continue reading Standing at the Bridge: Why Modern Financial Planning Must Learn to Stress-Test Lives, Not Just Markets
Bitcoin, AI and the Repricing of Risk
What the latest market shock means for Total Wealth Planners — and the conversations clients now need Bitcoin price plunges to lowest since 2024 as investors pull out of crypto The recent, record-breaking one-day sell-off in Bitcoin wasn’t just another bout of crypto volatility. It was a signal event — one that reveals how quickly … Continue reading Bitcoin, AI and the Repricing of Risk
The AI Interface Shift: Why Method Beats Advice
(And why time is now your biggest risk) The financial planning profession isn’t being disrupted by better advice. It’s being displaced by a new interface. Increasingly, people don’t start with advisers, websites, or apps.They start with AI. They ask questions.They test ideas.They model scenarios.They explore options — instantly. This is not a future prediction.It’s a … Continue reading The AI Interface Shift: Why Method Beats Advice
Paraplanners at a Crossroads: If Not Adviser, Then What?
Recent research, from the Lang Cat in today's Money Marketing, shows a quiet but telling shift in the profession. Only 13% of paraplanners now see themselves becoming financial advisers — down from 24% just a year ago. The majority want to grow, contribute, and build meaningful careers, but not by stepping into a product-sales role. … Continue reading Paraplanners at a Crossroads: If Not Adviser, Then What?
The Bridge Financial Planners Are Standing On
What’s Missing from Financial Planning — and Why Total Wealth Planning Matters Now Most financial planners don’t wake up one morning and decide that financial planning is broken. They arrive at a quieter realisation. The plans are technically correct.The assumptions are defensible.The portfolios are optimised. And yet clients feel more anxious, more fragile, and more … Continue reading The Bridge Financial Planners Are Standing On
Two Worlds. One Bridge.
Why the Academy of Life Planning Exists There are two worlds living side by side. Most of us were born into the first. The Old World: Structurally Untrustworthy Systems The world we inherited is shaped by financial services, economics, politics, and religion built on intermediation. It is a world organised around power over people. Here, … Continue reading Two Worlds. One Bridge.
Life Planning Has Outgrown Its Original Frame
A bridge-safe reflection for planners sensing the next step For many planners, life planning began as a profound shift. A move away from product talk.A deeper conversation.A focus on meaning, freedom, and what really matters to the client. For some, that training was genuinely life-changing. It restored dignity to the profession and reminded us why … Continue reading Life Planning Has Outgrown Its Original Frame
The £10 Billion Question: Is “Ongoing Advice” Still Fit for a World That Changes Daily?
The UK financial advice profession is facing a quiet but profound contradiction. According to the Financial Conduct Authority, around 4 million clients currently pay for ongoing advice. Together, they generate an estimated £8–10 billion a year in fees—around 80% of total adviser-charge revenue. On the surface, this suggests a healthy, sustainable model. Look closer, and … Continue reading The £10 Billion Question: Is “Ongoing Advice” Still Fit for a World That Changes Daily?
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