The Academy of Life Planning was established as an independent financial planning firm in April 2012. The founder and owner, Steve Conley, is a Chartered Financial Planner, and former head of investments at HSBC. 

Steve and other Academy affiliated life & money planners deliver remote generic advice, financial education, financial planning, and life planning to clients around the world, online via data sharing applications, real-time messaging, and video telephony systems.

Ten Reasons Why We Are Different

The service we deliver is different to any other service you will find because:

1.  We are non-intermediating financial planners (NIFP). That means we do not intermediate between our clients and the providers of financial products. We do not sell, provide, or manage financial products. We have no agency agreements with product providers. We sell plans, not products. There is a clear wall between advice and product.
2.  We are life planners. That means that we plan our client's ideal life before we look at the money. We treat our clients as the customer, not their money.
3.  We are multi-dimensional wealth planners. That means we look at wealth in every area of our client's life: mind, body, heart, spirit, and bank account.
4.  We are lifetime cashflow forecasters. That means we use our Financial Freedom Forecaster to look at scenarios that ensure our clients will not outlive their capital. We make this available 24/7 to our clients via our personal wealth app.
5.  We are values-based advisers. Because every pound our clients spend is a powerful vote for the change they want to see in the world. We work in a respectful and sensitive way with different values and perspectives. Our approach is people-centric, rather than money-centric, and is respectful of diversity and the planet.
6.  We focus on wealth creation and management. No financial service or financial product creates wealth, they simply manage it. Though many may claim otherwise. Our clients create wealth through their entrepreneurial spirit. We help them find and develop entrepreneurial spirit through our Execution Plan.
7.  We act as a fiduciary adviser. That means we undertake an oath to put our clients' best interests first.
8.  We offer a fixed fee service and help you save costs. That means we are paid simply for the work we do, we cut out all hidden incentives and conflicts of interest and cut out the unnecessary middlemen that fail to add any value in financial services.
9.  Safe or scam support. We help our clients to stay safe and avoid future scams.
10.  Asset recovery service. We help our clients to recover lost or stolen assets from past mistakes.

As the whole world plans towards a post-pandemic "new normal" for life and money, we are your go-to experts for global online life and money planning, without the product intermediation.

At the Academy of Life Planning, we provide global non-intermediating financial planners, and their firms, with all the advice, resources and support they need to run a successful non-regulated advice business.

By placing a wall between advice and product we removed the burden of regulation. Advice can then be delivered affordably and profitably, whilst you freely work from anywhere.

Whether you are a consumer or adviser, you can book an hour online consultation with Steve Conley by visiting our SHOP.

You may need one-off advice on a topic such as retirement, or a comprehensive plan for your life and overall finances with ongoing support. We use the global market leading lifetime cash flow software to deliver a comprehensive personal financial plan.

What is a Fee-only Non-intermediating Personal Financial Planner?

A fee-only non-intermediating personal financial planner is a highly trained professional who is committed to working in the best interests of their clients. We serve our clients without muddling the financial planning relationship with retail financial intermediation. We operate to high standards in the field of financial planning. We undertake a fiduciary oath and observe a code of ethics.

What we do not do

 Offer financial service products, such as funds, pensions, or bonds.

 Undertake financial services activities.

 Offer or carry out 'regulated activities' (activities specified by the Regulated Activities Order 2001).

 Provide financial services, investments, or consumer credit.

 Offer loans, car financing deals or consumer credit.

 We are not a bank, credit union, insurance firm, consumer credit firm, investment firm, benchmark administrator, payment service or e-money firm, or an "automated" advice and guidance model provider.

Our Fiduciary Oath

“I shall plan my client before planning my client’s personal finances. I shall not conduct any financial intermediation. I shall exercise my best efforts to act in good faith and in the best interests of my client. I shall provide written disclosure to my client prior to my engagement, and thereafter throughout the term of the engagement, of any conflicts of interest, which will or reasonably may compromise my impartiality or independence. I, or any party in which I have a financial interest, do not receive any compensation or other remuneration that is contingent on my client’s purchase or sale of a financial product. I do not receive a fee or other compensation from another party based on the referral of a client or the client's business."

Following the Fiduciary Oath means we shall:

1. Always act in good faith and with honesty.
2. Be proactive in disclosing any conflicts of interest that may impact a client.
3. Not accept any referral fees or compensation contingent upon the purchase or sale of a financial product.

Our Code of Ethics

1. Objectivity: We strive to be as unbiased as possible in providing general advice and financial education to our clients, and we practice on a Fee-Only basis.
2. Confidentiality: We shall keep all client data private unless authorisation is received from the client to share it. We shall treat all documents with care and take care when disposing of them. Relations with clients shall be kept private.
3. Competence: We shall strive to maintain a high level of knowledge and ability. We shall attain continuing education. We shall not provide advice in areas where we are not capable.
4. Fairness & Suitability: Dealings and recommendation with clients will always be in the client’s best interests. We put our clients first.
5. Integrity & Honesty: We will endeavour to always take the high road and to be ever mindful of the potential for misunderstanding that can accrue in normal human interactions. We will be diligent to keep actions and reactions so far above-board that a thinking client or other professional would not doubt our intentions. In all actions, we are mindful that in addition to serving our clients, we are about the business of building a non-intermediating financial planning profession, and our actions reflect this.
6. Regulatory Compliance: We will strive to maintain conformity with legal regulations.
7. Full Disclosure: We shall fully describe our method of compensation and potential conflicts of interest to clients.
8. Professionalism: We shall always conduct ourselves in a professional way. This involves integrity, honest treatment of clients, and treating people with respect.

It is all part of our mission.

Our Mission

To provide fee-only non-intermediating personal financial plans for our clients.

Our Values

We live by three important values:

1. To be the beacon for independent, objective financial planning for individuals and families.
2. To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
3. To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of non-intermediating financial planning.

Our Standards

We meet the following standards and continue to abide by such standards:

1. Fee-Only financial planner

We are compensated solely by the client with neither ourselves nor any related party receiving compensation that is contingent on the purchase or sale of a financial product. We do not receive commissions, rebates, awards, finder’s fees, bonuses or other forms of compensation from others as a result of a client’s implementation of our planning recommendations.

2. Prohibition of certain ownership interests and employment relationships

We, or a party related to us, do not own any interest in or are employed by a financial services industry firm that receives commissions, rebates, awards or any form of compensation that is contingent on the purchase or sale of a financial product.

3. Compliance with industry regulations

We agree to comply with all statutes, rules, regulations, administrative and judicial rulings, and other authorities applicable to the provision of financial planning or advisory related services.

4. Prompt notification of certain disciplinary and legal events.

We have a continuing obligation to inform our clients, in a prompt manner and in writing, of significant disciplinary and legal events. These events include, but are not limited to, the following:

Any disciplinary inquiry or proceeding initiated by any civil or criminal authority or regulatory body, including any inquiry, or proceeding relating to the firm with which we are associated.

Any disciplinary inquiry or proceeding initiated by a credentialing or membership organisation or authority to which we are subject; and

Any bankruptcy, receivership, or other type of assignment or arrangement for the benefit or protection of our creditors or in relation to any entity in which we hold an interest of 5% or more.

Definitions:

"Related party" means a business colleague or family member with whom we share income or economic benefits. A related party may include, but is not limited to, a business partner or an officer or Director of our business, or a spouse, parent, dependent minor child, an adult child still residing in the home, or other dependent.

"Financial services industry firm" includes any entity or individual that offers any type of financial service, e.g., securities broker or dealer, investment adviser, asset manager, investment company, banking institution, savings institution, trust company, mortgage bank, credit union, savings and loan association, insurance broker or dealer or agent, real estate broker or agent, commodities broker or dealer or agent.