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Total Wealth Planner
™
Human experience.
AI intelligence. Your decisions.
AI-assisted financial planning for real life—not a performance of success.
When a financial decision becomes complex, stressful or uncertain, you may need more than information. You need help establishing what is true, understanding what matters and seeing the choices clearly.
That is what you get from Steve Conley and Academy OS.
Academy OS helps examine documents, organise facts, explore possibilities and identify what may have been missed.
I bring forty years of financial-services experience, professional judgment and an independent human challenge.
You remain the decision-maker.
Bring us the problem, not the portfolio.
Start with a 90-minute Second Brain Session.
Together, we will clarify your position, test your assumptions and identify your next sound step.
No transfer of investments.
No percentage charge on your life savings.
No commitment to a relationship lasting decades.
If you later want continued access to Academy OS, reassurance and professional support, choose only the level you need.
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Steve Conley BSc FCII APFS
Chartered Financial Planner
Former Head of Investments at HSBC
Founder, Academy of Life Planning
Working alongside Academy OS™
AI-powered intelligence for human-led financial planning.
AI doesn’t replace your agency. It strengthens it.
More when you need it. Less when you don’t.
See the effect across your lifetime
The Lifetime Cost Comparison Calculator allows you to compare the two models over a period you choose.
Enter:
-
your current age
-
the number of years to project
-
your starting investment value
-
an assumed gross growth rate
-
the ongoing percentage charge under the adviser model
-
the Total Wealth Planning™ support pattern you expect to use
The calculator uses a single deterministic projection rather than a Monte Carlo simulation. It is an illustration, not a prediction, and the assumptions remain visible and adjustable.
You can create your own support cycle. For example:
-
Lifeguard support during ordinary years
-
Annual or Quarterly support when more structure is useful
-
Unlimited support during a major transition
-
a cycle length that reflects your circumstances
You can also add an optional retirement drawdown phase, including:
-
the age withdrawals begin
-
the annual withdrawal required
-
an assumed rate of indexation
Both models fund the same spending requirement. The comparison does not manufacture savings by assuming a lower standard of living under one approach.
The results show:
-
projected fund value by age
-
the effect of retirement withdrawals
-
whether either model runs out of capital
-
terminal fund value
-
total fees paid
-
approximately five-year checkpoints
-
a plain-English reflection on the outcome
The calculator is honest in both directions. A fixed-fee episodic model will not automatically be cheaper for every person, fund size or time period.
The purpose is not to tell you what to choose.
It is to make the long-term economic consequences visible before you choose.
Start with the problem in front of you
Second Brain Session — £297
90 minutes of professional support, delivered as three 30-minute Zoom conversations with AI-supported tools from Academy OS.
Perhaps you are wondering:
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Can I retire?
-
What should I do with an inheritance?
-
Can I afford to work less?
-
What do these pension choices mean?
-
Does this investment make sense?
-
What happens if my circumstances change?
Or perhaps something simply doesn't feel right and you want an independent second opinion.
We begin with the question you are trying to answer.
Between conversations, Academy OS tools help you organise information, explore scenarios, test assumptions and understand your options.
Then we talk again.
You remain the decision-maker throughout.
That may be all you need.
You might need another hour or two.
You might need support for a little longer while something complicated unfolds.
But the professional engagement should last as long as the need does.
You should not have to give up a percentage of your life savings for the rest of your life simply because you needed help for a few hours.
When the problem is solved, choose what happens next
You may need nothing more.
You can continue using Academy OS tools independently and come back whenever another important financial question arises.
Or you may prefer the reassurance of knowing that support is always nearby.
That is where the Total Wealth Planner subscriptions begin.
They are not a lifetime commitment.
Choose the level of support that suits the year ahead.
Change it next year if your life changes.
Independent Financial Lifeguard — £24/month
For people who manage their own finances but want the reassurance that they are never completely alone when life becomes more complicated.
You remain in control of your money.
Your Financial Lifeguard keeps tools, education, community and an independent second brain within reach.
Includes:
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independent second opinions when something doesn't feel right
-
quick reassurance before important financial decisions
-
early warning if you may be heading into difficult waters
-
Academy OS and My Life Record
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priority email support
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short WhatsApp check-ins when something unexpected happens
-
community and ongoing financial education
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access to in-depth planning support when needed
Continuity of access does not require continuity of adviser charging.
CHOOSE THE SUPPORT YOU NEED
Your need for support will not remain constant throughout your life.
There may be long periods when free tools are enough. At other times, you may want reassurance in the background, scheduled planning meetings or intensive one-to-one support.
That is why Total Wealth Planning™ operates as a flexible value ladder.
You can move up when life becomes complex, stressful or uncertain.
You can move down again when clarity and confidence return.
Free
For people who are comfortable planning independently.
Use Navigator™ and other Academy OS tools to organise your finances, explore scenarios and create your own plan.
Best for: ordinary planning, initial exploration and self-directed decision-making.
Cost: Free.
Lifeguard
A low-cost professional safety net for people who normally manage independently but want somewhere trusted to turn when something does not feel right.
Lifeguard support can provide reassurance, short-question support, an independent second opinion and early warning before a small concern becomes a larger problem.
Best for: capable self-planners who want professional backup without continuous financial management.
Cost: £245 per year.
Annual
A structured annual planning relationship with a Chartered Financial Planner.
Review your Total Wealth Plan, revisit key assumptions, update your financial modelling and identify decisions that may require attention during the coming year.
Best for: people whose affairs are broadly stable but who value a formal annual planning checkpoint.
Quarterly
Four structured planning meetings each year, supported by updated modelling and access to professional thinking between meetings.
Best for: retirement preparation, business or career transitions, estate planning and periods involving several connected decisions.
Monthly
Regular one-to-one planning support for periods of sustained change, uncertainty or implementation.
Best for: major transitions, complex family finances, bereavement, divorce, redundancy, retirement implementation or business exit.
Unlimited
Intensive access to a Chartered Financial Planner throughout a year in which several important decisions need to be coordinated.
Best for: unusually complex or demanding periods when close professional involvement creates significant value.
Cost: £4,995 per year.
This is a support dial,
not a dependency ladder
The aim is not to move every client towards the most expensive tier.
The aim is to match the support to the need.
You might use free tools for nine years, choose Unlimited support during a major retirement or life transition, and then return to Lifeguard support once the work is complete.
That is not a reduced service.
It is successful planning.
Professional support should become more intensive when circumstances require it and less intensive when your own capability is sufficient.
More support when it matters. Less cost when it does not.
Compare the lifetime cost
Two Chartered Financial Planners may have equivalent professional qualifications but operate under very different commercial models.
The continuous adviser model
A Chartered Financial Planner who is also an ongoing financial adviser may:
-
manage investments on your behalf
-
charge an annual percentage of assets under management
-
provide a continuous service
-
focus commercially on wealthy clients willing to delegate
-
continue charging throughout periods when relatively little planning intervention is required
The episodic planning model
A Total Wealth Planner™ may:
-
provide free agency-building tools
-
offer a low-cost Lifeguard service
-
charge fixed fees for defined levels of support
-
provide intensive one-to-one planning when needed
-
allow you to reduce support when the period of complexity has passed
-
leave you in control of your assets and decisions
Both professionals may be equally qualified.
The difference lies in what they charge for, how often they charge and whether their model is designed around continuous delegation or variable human need.
Over a lifetime, that difference can be substantial.
See the effect across your lifetime
The Lifetime Cost Comparison Calculator allows you to compare the two models over a period you choose.
Enter:
-
your current age
-
the number of years to project
-
your starting investment value
-
an assumed gross growth rate
-
the ongoing percentage charge under the adviser model
-
the Total Wealth Planning™ support pattern you expect to use
The calculator uses a single deterministic projection rather than a Monte Carlo simulation. It is an illustration, not a prediction, and the assumptions remain visible and adjustable.
You can create your own support cycle. For example:
-
Lifeguard support during ordinary years
-
Annual or Quarterly support when more structure is useful
-
Unlimited support during a major transition
-
a cycle length that reflects your circumstances
You can also add an optional retirement drawdown phase, including:
-
the age withdrawals begin
-
the annual withdrawal required
-
an assumed rate of indexation
Both models fund the same spending requirement. The comparison does not manufacture savings by assuming a lower standard of living under one approach.
The results show:
-
projected fund value by age
-
the effect of retirement withdrawals
-
whether either model runs out of capital
-
terminal fund value
-
total fees paid
-
approximately five-year checkpoints
-
a plain-English reflection on the outcome
The calculator is honest in both directions. A fixed-fee episodic model will not automatically be cheaper for every person, fund size or time period.
The purpose is not to tell you what to choose.
It is to make the long-term economic consequences visible before you choose.
When the tools are not enough
Sometimes a question becomes too important, complicated or emotionally demanding to work through alone.
That is when you can bring in a Total Wealth Planner™.
Not as somebody who takes over your financial life.
Not as a salesperson with a product to place.
Not as an authority you must retain indefinitely.
As a qualified and experienced thinking partner who can help you:
-
understand what is really happening
-
identify assumptions and blind spots
-
connect your money with your wider life
-
evaluate realistic alternatives
-
model the consequences of different choices
-
build a plan you understand
-
reach a decision you can act upon confidently
You remain the decision-maker throughout.
When You Need More Personal Support
Sometimes life becomes more complicated.
Retirement.
Bereavement.
Divorce.
Illness.
Redundancy.
Inheritance.
Financial stress.
At times like these, even capable people can feel overwhelmed.
That’s when a Total Wealth Planner™ can help.
One-to-one support from an experienced Total Wealth Planner™ who works with you — not over you.
Clear conversations.
Clear structure.
No pressure.
No sales. No obligation. Just a conversation.
The Total Wealth Plan
A single, joined-up way to understand your life, money, and future choices.
see your whole financial picture clearly
make confident decisions about retirement, work, and money
adapt as life changes — without starting again
This is planning for real life — not just money.
Tools for Clarity.
Support When You Need It.
Our planning tools can help you organise your thinking, explore options, and better understand important financial decisions.
And when things feel more complicated, stressful, or uncertain, you can speak to an experienced Total Wealth Planner™ for human support.
Simple.
Clear.
At your pace.
You stay in control of the decisions — always.
Three-step experience
You leave with a written plan, clearer options, and a stronger sense of direction.
What you won’t get
• Product sales
• Commissions
• Pressure to hand over control
What you will get
• Independent, conflict-free thinking support
• A plan you fully understand and control
• Professional clarity when decisions feel complex, stressful, or high-stakes
• A structured way to use AI safely and effectively as part of your own planning
You remain the authority — always.
Ongoing Support — Only If You Want It
Some clients simply need clarity on a particular decision.
Others prefer ongoing second-brain support as life evolves.
You can choose the level of support that feels right — from occasional Second Brain Sessions to deeper Total Wealth Planning™ work.
No lock-ins. No pressure.
Led by a Chartered Financial Planner with over 40 years’ experience at senior levels of the profession, Total Wealth Planning combines deep expertise with a modern, agency-first approach.
Why "Total" Wealth Planning
Because your life is bigger than your finances.
We consider:
• Financial capital (your money and assets)
• Human capital (your skills, health, earning potential)
• Decision capital (your ability to make good choices over time)
Everything connected.
Everything visible.
Everything aligned.
Much of financial planning asks you to delegate control.
This approach is different.
It’s designed to restore and strengthen your agency — not replace it.
Traditional Wealth Management
• Manages your investments for you
• Charges a % of your assets (ongoing)
• Focuses mainly on financial capital
• You delegate decisions
Total Wealth Planning™
• Supports your thinking — you remain in control
• Fixed fees or hourly — no asset-based charges
• Considers your whole life (financial, human, decision capital)
• You make the decisions, with expert support beside you
List Title
Start with clarity
Book a short call and see whether Total Wealth Planning™ can help you regain clarity in your situation.
If it’s not the right fit, I’ll tell you — honestly and upfront.
Choose Your Path
Start with Your Free Thinking Assistant
Access Navigator™ — your personal lifetime cash flow planning calculator.
Use it to explore ideas, organise decisions, and build your plan at your own pace.
Free to use. Private. No obligation. Your thinking. Your plan. Your agency.
Add a Second Brain — When It Matters
When decisions feel complex, stressful, or high-stakes, you don’t have to process everything alone.
From just £245 per year, you can access ongoing second-brain support to help you:
• sense-check your thinking
• work through important decisions
• stay clear, confident, and in control as life evolves
This includes unlimited Q&A support, so you always have somewhere to turn when you need clarity.
Contact
Address
Steve Conley
Total Wealth Planner™
9 Franklin Way
Spilsby
Lincolnshire
PE23 5GG
Phone No.
07850 102070
AoLP Approved 02/04/2025
Total Wealth Planner™ is an appointed representative of the Academy of Life Planning™. We operate exclusively under AoLP to provide Total Wealth Planning™ services, as detailed on the Academy’s website.