About the Academy of Life Planning™
Redefining financial planning — so professionals can practise with conscience, competence, and confidence.
Why We Exist
Financial services is one of the least-trusted industries in the world.
Since the Global Financial Crisis, research has shown a persistent gap:
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Trust matters most to clients
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But is least rewarded by prevailing industry models
Many capable Financial Planners find themselves caught between:
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What they know is right for clients
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And what the system rewards them for doing
That tension doesn’t come from a lack of professionalism.
It comes from structural design.
In 2012, Academy of Life Planning was founded to address that design problem — by creating a life-first planning profession rooted in trust, empowerment, and transparency.
At the Academy, planning means:
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Treating clients as people, not products
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Drawing a clear line between planning and selling
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Equipping professionals to put life before money — without abandoning income, standards, or credibility
What We Do
The Academy is the professional home of Total Wealth Planners™ — practitioners who want to practise beyond extraction, without stepping outside legitimacy.
We train and support planners in applying the GAME Plan™, a structured, life-first methodology that helps clients before, during, and after their interaction with financial systems.
Alongside professional training, the Academy supports a wider empowerment ecosystem:
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Planning My Life™ (PML)
Self-directed GAME Plan tools (Done-By-You) -
Financial Life Coach™ (FLC)
Guided, ethical coaching during life transitions (Done-With-You) -
Get SAFE™
Support, recovery, and advocacy after financial harm
Together, these pathways — supported by planners, AI tools, and community — form a continuum from exploited to empowered.
Our Vision
We are building a global community of Total Wealth Planners™ who:
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Place empowerment before exploitation
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Operate independently of product sales
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Integrate human capital and financial capital
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Use modern tools (AI, Notion, open systems) responsibly
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Uphold a Code of Chivalry:
service before self, integrity without compromise, justice through advocacy
Our long-term goals include:
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Recognition as a professional education body
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Accreditation of the GAME Plan™ Mastery programme
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A searchable global register of Total Wealth Planners™
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Expansion of the empowerment movement worldwide
The Difference We’re Making
Not through hype.
Through quiet, competent professionals choosing to practise differently.
About Our Tone
The Academy of Life Planning supports people at different stages of their professional and personal journey.
Some are just beginning to question how they practise.
Others have already lived through harm, injustice, or deep disillusionment — and are ready to name it clearly.
Because of this, you may notice different tones across our content.
In public spaces, we aim to be calm, respectful, and exploratory — creating a safe place to think, reflect, and ask honest questions without pressure or judgement.
In member and closed spaces, our language can be more direct. These are communities where people have chosen to engage more deeply with systemic issues and the realities of financial harm.
This is intentional.
We believe truth lands best when safety comes first, and that meaningful change happens through understanding, not confrontation.
Wherever you encounter our work, you are invited to engage at your own pace.
The GAME Plan™ – Our Signature Framework
At the heart of the Academy is the GAME Plan™ — a practical methodology for planning life before money.
It helps individuals and professionals to:
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Clarify goals grounded in values
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Translate intent into action
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Align financial and human resources
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Execute, review, and renew over time
It’s not a product.
It’s a planning discipline — and a pathway from extraction to empowerment.
About Steve Conley, BSc FCII
Founder, Academy of Life Planning™ Total Wealth Planner • Chartered Financial Planner • Chartered Insurer Steve Conley founded the Academy in 2012 after stepping away from senior corporate roles in banking and financial services, including positions at HSBC, RBS Group, and Santander. With over 40 years’ experience, Steve has worked alongside thousands of planners and industry leaders. His work bridges deep technical expertise (investments, pensions, risk) with a consistent commitment to ethics, professionalism, and systemic reform. Qualifications and recognition include: Registered Life Planner Chartered Financial Planner Chartered Insurer (Pensions Route) Mathematics graduate Awards include: British Insurance & Investment Brokers’ Association Prize Jubilee Prize of the Insurance Institute of Manchester Transparency Trophy (2017) for advancing trust in financial services Steve also serves as a Global Ambassador for the Transparency Task Force, and a member of its Advisory Group. His mission remains simple and uncompromising: To equip professional planners with the tools, clarity, and community to thrive in the Age of Empowerment — helping people design life before money.
Why Chartered Standards Still Matter
Chartered status remains the gold standard in UK financial services, representing:
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Advanced technical competence
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Ethical accountability
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Professional credibility
At the Academy, Chartered standards inform everything we do — even where planning is delivered outside product-led models. Around three in four of our members are professionally qualified to this gold standard or higher, holding Chartered status or operating within equivalent registered and supervised professional frameworks.
This is not about lowering standards.
It is about redirecting them toward empowerment.
More Than Training. A Professional Home.
The Academy of Life Planning™ is not just a course provider.
It is a movement replacing extraction with empowerment.
As a member, you gain:
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GAME Plan™ Mastery tools and training
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A global peer network of values-led professionals
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A clear, ethical pathway into Total Wealth Planning™
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A place to practise with conscience — and still make a living
A Note on Transparency
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Over the years, the Academy of Life Planning has been recognised across a range of industry award programmes, including: Finance UK Lawyer International – Legal 100 Awards (2022–2024) UK Corporate America Today Awards (2022–2025) Global 100 – Top 100 Firms & Individuals (2022–2025) M&A Today Global Awards (2024–2025) SME News Finance Awards – SME500 UK (2024–2025) Additional acknowledgements include: Most Pioneering Financial Planner Network — AI Worldwide Finance Awards (2022–2024) Financial Adviser Support Network of the Year — Corporate LiveWire Innovation & Excellence Awards (2022–2024) Best Financial Adviser Support Network — SME News Finance Awards (2020–2022) Outstanding Contribution to Finance — SME News Finance Awards (2020–2022) That said, we believe transparency matters more than applause. Some industry awards — particularly those issued by marketing-led publishers — are often described as “vanity awards”. These can involve: Opaque or unclear judging criteria Promotional or commercial incentives Paid packages associated with recognition We choose to be explicit about this. While we appreciate external recognition, awards are not our measure of success. Our true benchmarks are: The trust of our members The empowerment and autonomy of those they serve The growth of a global professional community committed to structural change That is the standard by which we hold ourselves accountable.
