🧇 The Weekly Waffle – Academy Town Hall Highlights May 9th 2025 📅

Story of the Week

💥 Introducing the Justice & Recovery Hub: Hope Beyond Financial Crime 💥
Every year, thousands lose not just money but futures to corporate financial crime—and are left to fend for themselves. That ends now. I’m proud to launch the Justice & Recovery Hub ✊✨—a survivor-led, transparent, and ethical initiative providing FREE empowerment and recovery services for those impacted by systemic financial wrongdoing. 💪🌱👉 Read more. 🌍

Steve Conley: Editor, The Weekly Waffle

🔥 This Week’s Waffle: Empowerment, Exposure & Enlightenment 🔥
This week we’re serving up the launch of the Justice & Recovery Hub 💥, a powerful Financial Life Planning Masterclass 🎓, and a deep dive into how you can be a professional planner without ever selling financial products 🚫💰. We’re shining a light on life outside the FCA perimeter 🔍, busting myths about unregulated advisers, peering into the murky waters of international IFAs 🌍, and unpacking deVere with a neutral lens 🤝. We explore how a life plan can lift you from depression 🌅, trace the fallout from the government’s “bonfire of red tape” 🔥, and spotlight scandals from the Post Office to pensions, crypto to Mastercard 📰. Plus: how to counter pension fear-mongering, why investments can manage themselves, and how to plan your way off welfare 🚀. And that’s just for starters!

[Steve is the author of 👉 Your Money or Your Life]

Top Stories

✨ A Life Plan: An Overlooked Remedy for Depression ✨
“Depression is the inability to construct a future.” – Rollo May 💬. In post-COVID Britain, millions still struggle with depression—costing individuals, employers, and the NHS billions 💸. But what if one of the most powerful remedies is simply having a life plan? 📖✨ Studies show that people with clear goals, meaning, and direction experience far lower rates of depression 🌅. Helping individuals regain purpose isn’t just healing—it’s transformative. Let’s give people the tools to believe in a tomorrow worth striving for 💪❤️🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚨 Financial Planners: Time to Step Outside the Perimeter? 🚨
Compliance stress, endless red tape, shrinking margins… sound familiar? 😩 What if you could still do financial planning—without the FCA headaches—and focus on what clients truly value? 🌟 This week, I explore how holistic wealth planning offers a rewarding, stress-free encore career for advisers ready to reclaim freedom, wellbeing, and profitability 🌱✨. Now’s the time to act—before market conditions shift! ⏳🌟 Read more. 💬✨

✨ The Non-Sales Route to Professional Financial Planning ✨
Did you know you can become a professional financial planner without ever selling a product or being FCA-authorised? 🚫💼 Many believe regulation and sales are essential—but there’s a values-driven path focused purely on holistic, client-centred planning 🌱. This week, I explore how qualifications like the CFP™ with CISI empower you to build a rewarding career through guidance, life planning, and empowerment—free from product sales and conflicts of interest 🙌✨👉 Read More. 💬💔

👀 Who’s the Real Risk—Unregulated Coaches or Regulated Advisers? 👀
This month’s Money Marketing critique of “unregulated” advisers misses the mark 🎯. Many financial coaches are highly qualified (75% of our Academy members hold QCA Levels 6–7) and follow professional codes 📚✨. Meanwhile, the so-called “small-scale” British Steel scandal under FCA-regulated advice harmed 1,870 victims, with average losses of £82,600 and over £100 million in redress 💸. So… who really poses the bigger risk? 🤔🚩🌟 Read more. 💬✨

💭 Beyond the FCA: The Wider World of Investment Regulation 💭
Just because an investment isn’t FCA-regulated doesn’t mean it’s unregulated 🔍. The FCA’s scope covers less than 5% of the UK’s wealth (ONS Wealth & Assets Survey) 📊—leaving a vast investment world governed by other rules, regulators, and oversight 🌍. A recent ASA ruling against a firm promoting cars as investments proves other regulators step in where the FCA doesn’t 🚗⚖️. Regulation isn’t a single lens—and misunderstanding this can put consumers at risk 🚨.👉 Read more. 📈💪

🚨 Is This the Next Post Office Scandal? 🚨
I’m honoured to attend the House of Commons on 12th May for a pivotal summit hosted by the APPG on Investment Fraud & Fairer Financial Services 👉 “Another Post Office Scandal? More Than Ten Years of Injustice for Investment Fraud Victims vs HMRC.” Victims who lost life savings are still being pursued by HMRC for tax, interest, and penalties—as if they were tax avoiders, not victims 💔. This summit exposes systemic failure, blame-shifting, and the urgent need for reform 🔍. I’ll be there to listen, learn, and stand with those fighting for fairness, accountability, and compassion ✊❤️🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🔍 Red Tape—or Life Raft? 🛟
As policymakers rush to “cut red tape” for growth, 18,000 families are trapped in flawed trusts—unable to sell their homes, facing shock tax bills and mounting legal costs 🏠⚠️. When regulation fails, people don’t just lose profits—they lose homes, savings, and sometimes their lives 💔. This isn’t pointless bureaucracy—it’s basic consumer protection. And when we cut it, we leave the vulnerable exposed 🚨🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚨 17,000 Pension Savers. One Collapse. A Fight for Justice. 🚨
This week, the Hartley Pensions case hits the High Court in London ⚖️, exposing cracks in pension oversight and leaving 17,000 savers in limbo 🕳️. Behind the legal battle lies a stark truth: too many are left vulnerable by opaque systems and weak protections 💔. At the Academy of Life Planning, we champion financial planning that empowers, not exploits 🌱. This case is a powerful call for transparency, integrity, and client-centred practice at the heart of our profession 🙌✨ Read more. 😅

🚨 Is the Government’s Stance on #Waspi Fair? 🤔⚖️
The government claims Waspi’s judicial review is “not properly arguable” 📄—but is that the whole story? 👀 This week, we dive into the latest analysis of fairness, justice, and what’s really at stake for 1950s-born women fighting for their rights 👩‍🦳💬.🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚨 PwC’s Global Model: A House of Cards Failing British Expats 🚨
In my latest article, I expose how PwC’s fragmented global structure has spectacularly failed British expats caught in the QROPS scandal 🌍💥. When accountability is dodged across borders, victims are left high and dry, justice denied ⚖️. This isn’t just a compliance failure—it’s a systemic betrayal of trust 🤝❌🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚨 Justice Delayed? 🚨
A £270m class action—the largest in Isle of Man history—has surfaced serious allegations of dishonesty and conspiracy 🕵️‍♂️💼. Yet despite the gravity, official inaction continues, raising urgent questions about financial governance and accountability ⚖️. Here, I explore what this case means for financial justice and public trust. It’s a wake-up call regulators, policymakers, and consumers can no longer ignore 🔔📣.🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚨 Pensions Betrayed: The Scandal the FCA Won’t Face 🚨
Thousands of UK pensioners—victims of scams like the John Pye fraud—are still fighting for justice 💔. Billions in retirement savings have been mishandled, yet the FCA and other regulators remain silent, refusing meaningful engagement 🤐. The pattern is disturbingly clear: ✅ Trustees abandon their duties, ✅ insolvency practitioners cut secretive pre-pack deals, ✅ and regulators close ranks. Even with evidence of financial crime and systemic failure, victims are left in the dark. This is a scandal that can no longer be ignored ⚠️🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚨 New Insight: Ambition, Accountability & Global Finance 🌍⚖️
Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, stands as a prominent figure in international financial advice 🏦. This week’s deep-dive unpacks his rise, leadership style, media spotlight, and key regulatory moments—revealing the delicate dance between ambition, success, and the need for robust oversight 🎭. A must-read for those passionate about financial reform, corporate governance, and consumer protection (⚠️ neutrality warning: may not sit well with victims). 👉 Read more. 📈😅

💥 Lessons from the Mastercard Case: Can We Ever Hold Banks Accountable? 💥
After nearly a decade of litigation, the £19 billion Mastercard class action wraps up—not with a bang, but a muted £200m settlement 💷🤐. What does this teach us about challenging banks through civil courts? ⚖️ Here, I unpack the tough lessons from this landmark case and ask: is there a smarter way to pursue financial justice and systemic reform? 🧭💡 If you're serious about change, this one’s for you.🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚨 Crypto Crime Surge: Are Brits at Breaking Point? 🚨
The FCA has launched a consultation on new cryptoasset trading rules 📜, with proposals covering intermediaries, staking, lending, borrowing, and DeFi 🌐. As UK retail investors lose hundreds of millions to crypto scams—and many more spiral into debt from leveraged speculation 💸—the FCA scrambles to tighten the rules. Yet while consultations drag on, millions remain exposed and vulnerable ⚠️🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚫 They’re Not Reforming the System—They’re Bulldozing Justice 🏛️
Advice firms are lobbying to further weaken the Financial Ombudsman—after already making victims pay to have complaints reviewed if legal help is involved 💸. This isn’t reform; it’s a tactic to silence victims and protect profits 🤐. I expose how these moves betray trust, punish the vulnerable, and deepen the crisis of confidence in financial services 🧱. Until firms grow a conscience, no amount of deregulation will restore faith. It’s time to stop playing their game—and start fighting back ✊🔥🌟 Read more. 💬✨

💸 Are You Paying for Investment Management—or Just Paying More? 💸
The truth is, investments largely manage themselves these days 🤖—with low-cost, globally diversified, auto-rebalancing funds now the norm 🌍. So… what extra value are you really getting for that advisory fee? 🤔 I’ve written a new article unpacking the myth of investment management, the rise of passive solutions like Vanguard LifeStrategy, and why it’s time consumers benchmark properly—not just trust slick sales pitches 💬✅🌟 Read more. 💬✨

💥 Rethinking Retirement! 💥
Did you know some people are reaching retirement with just £3,650 in their pension? 😟 And the industry’s “solution”? 👉 Hand over more of your savings to them. But what if there’s a better way? 💡 Human Capital Strategies empower YOU to build income from hobbies, passions, side-hustles, and work that doesn’t feel like work 🚴‍♀️🎨🧵📈. At Planning My Life, we believe retirement security isn’t just about pensions—it’s about freedom, purpose, and independence at any age ✊💼🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚨 15 Million at Risk—Or 15 Million Fear-Mongered? 🚨
Every year, insurers warn we’re “not saving enough” for retirement 😟—but where’s the mention of human capital? 💡 The skills, knowledge, and purpose that carry us beyond some arbitrary “retirement age” 🕰️. This week, Warren Buffett retires at 96 📰; today, I spoke with planners in their 70s and 80s—still thriving, still contributing 🙌. 👉 The real crisis isn’t under-saving. 👉 The real crisis is a system pretending life ends at 65. It’s time to stop playing their game—and start building wealth in every dimension of life 🌱🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🔥 Welfare Cuts Are Here—But So Is Empowerment 🔥
The Government’s £5bn benefit cuts are grabbing headlines—but behind the numbers are real people facing real hardship 💔.I explore how we can rise beyond crisis thinking—combining the transformative GAME Plan with practical tools like Turn2us 🧭💼. It’s time to help those hit hardest regain control, rebuild income, and thrive. Let’s shift the narrative from survival to self-reliance 🌱✊🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚀 From Welfare to Wealth: Empowering Migrants Through Human Capital 🌍
As debates rage over migration and welfare costs, we’re asking a different question: What if we unlocked the incredible potential migrants bring? 💡 The GAME Plan offers a proven framework to move beyond dependency—helping refugees and migrants set goals, build skills, and contribute meaningfully 🙌. In this article, I explore how shifting from control to empowerment creates lasting, positive change for individuals and society alike. Let’s turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities 💪✨🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🚨 Burnt by Bad Financial Advice? Ready to Take Control? 🚨
Introducing the Empowerment Masterclass—a 6-week online programme to help you break free from high-fee advisers, misleading “finfluencers,” and one-size-fits-all products 🙌. In a small, supportive group (max 8 people), you’ll: ✅ Build a personalised financial & life plan with the GAME Plan framework, ✅ Gain AI-enhanced skills to manage your money confidently, ✅ Get expert guidance—no sales, no commissions, no jargon. 👥 6 sessions | 90 minutes each | £295 total | Recordings included. Ready to reclaim your financial future? 🌟 Read more. 💬✨

🌍✨ The Timeless Truth: Prisca Theologia & The GAME Plan ✨🌱
Did you know a universal wisdom weaves like a golden thread through every major spiritual tradition? 🧵 From the Shinto creation cycle 🌀 to the Buddhist Eightfold Path 🛕, the i-Ching’s elemental dance 🌿🔥💧🌬️ to the Kabbalistic Tree of Life 🌳—all point to a shared, ancient truth. This is Prisca Theologia 📜💫—the idea that a timeless theology underpins humanity’s quest for meaning across cultures and centuries.✨ Read more. 💬✨

🌟 Share the Knowledge and Empower Yourself! 🌟 My work is completely "open source," so feel free to copy, share, and spread the word as much as you like—because everyone deserves access to valuable knowledge. Let’s build a community where learning and growth are open to all. 

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Downloads

📥 Unlock Your Free Financial Planning Resources! 💼✨

Take control of your financial future with three powerful new downloads! Explore the GAME Plan, your guide to holistic financial well-being. Navigate pricing with the Academy Pricing Guide, designed to help you make informed choices. And if you’re ready to build a career in Holistic Wealth Planning, the Academy of Life Planning Guide is your roadmap to success. These resources are here to empower you—download them today and start your journey with confidence! 📚🚀

Scoreapps

⏱️ Discover Your Potential with Our Free 5-Minute Quizzes!

Take a moment to explore where you stand and how to grow with our quick and insightful quizzes:

1. Financial Activation Scorecard: Measure your Financial Activation Measure (FAM) and discover how financially prepared you are to manage your own finances. Track your progress over time with our tailored empowerment support. 💡
2. Kokoro Scorecard: Find your balance across mind, body, heart, and spirit, and get actionable steps to enhance it. 🌱
3. Holistic Wealth Planner/ Business Readiness Quiz: See how prepared you are to thrive as an independent holistic wealth planner, and identify where the Academy can help you succeed in 2025. 🚀 

Each quiz is free, quick, and designed to set you on the path to growth and success. Try them today! ✨

Member Live Events:

1️⃣ 🚀 Calling All HapNav Heroes! 💡💥

🚨 Missed It? Here’s Your Second Chance! 🎥✨

No worries if you couldn’t make it to our recent HapNav User Group Meeting—Mark and I have your back! 💪 We recorded a 15-minute teaser video packed with the key insights and exciting highlights you missed. 🚀💡

👉 Watch the Video Now

Your voice = game-changing impact. Don’t miss out again! 💥🚀

2️⃣ 🚀 Peer Mentorship Opportunity: The Monthly Mentee Mastery Meeting

🚀 Build a Thriving Financial Planning Practice with Peer Mentorship

Success in financial planning takes more than ambition—it requires accountability, strategy, and expert guidance. That’s exactly what our Monthly Peer Mentorship Meeting delivers. Hosted by Steve Conley, this one-hour clinic is a supportive space where experienced practitioners help you overcome challenges, celebrate progress, and stay on track to hit your 2025 net profit goals. Whether you need clarity, motivation, or fresh ideas, this is your chance to connect, learn, and grow within a like-minded community. Your success starts here—let’s build it together. 🌟🤝✨

❓ Missed the last session from Monday?
📥👉 Download the recording now and catch up at your convenience.

💡 Want to upgrade your Membership to enjoy Mentorship benefits?
👉 Visit our website to learn more.

📅 Mentees: We’ll see you next month! Register today!
Next meeting: Monday May 19th 2025 (due to Bank Holiday, and my visit to Westminster) at 10:00 AM (GMT). Mark your calendar, normally for the first Monday of every month at 10 am! 🗓️⏰

🌈 Let’s stay connected, stay inspired, and achieve greatness together! 💪🌟

3️⃣ CPD Masterclass - Season 2, Episode 6: The Prisca Theologian | Thursday, May 15, 2025 | 2:00 PM (London time)

✨ Discovering Universal Wisdom for Holistic Life Planning ✨

Join us for a powerful journey into Prisca Theologia—the ancient belief in a universal truth that unites the world’s spiritual and philosophical traditions. 🌿📿🕊️

In this transformative CPD workshop, we’ll explore how timeless wisdom from Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shamanism, and Hermetic Qabalah can reshape life planning into a soulful, purpose-led experience. 🔄💖

🔍 What you’ll learn:
💫 Stewardship & ethics from the Abrahamic faiths
⚖️ Balance & harmony from Eastern philosophies
🔥 Personal transformation from mystical traditions

🎯 Who should attend:
Holistic wealth planners, life coaches, and changemakers ready to elevate their practice with deep, spiritually-informed insights.

🌱 Walk away with tools to:
✅ Align life plans with personal purpose
✅ Empower clients with values-led strategies
✅ Step confidently into your role as a purpose guide

🆓 Free for all participants – but registration is required!

🔗 Click here to register now

📩 After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your Zoom access details.

Let’s illuminate the path to lives that are not just financially secure, but spiritually abundant and socially impactful. 🌍✨

4️⃣ 🚀Build Your Future in Holistic Wealth Planning – At Your Own Pace

Maybe the next chapter is calling you...
But the last one hasn’t quite let go.

You might still be tied into handover duties, reliant on a role that pays the bills but no longer fuels the soul. That slow exit can feel like limbo—frustrating, unfulfilling, and far removed from the meaningful work you know you’re meant to do.

Let’s shift that narrative. 🚀

What if you didn’t have to wait for the “perfect moment” to begin?
What if you could start now—quietly, confidently, and completely on your terms?

🌱 Introducing: The GAME Plan Practitioner Training Programme

A fully online, self-paced certification course designed to help you transition into holistic wealth planning—without walking away from your current commitments.

Whether you're preparing for a leap or launching a side-venture with soul, this programme equips you to guide others with purpose—and re-ignite your own.

Here’s what you get:

✅ 12 structured modules across four pillars of holistic planning
✅ 40+ hours of expert-led content, workbooks, and exercises
✅ 24+ hours of CPD-qualifying Masterclasses
✅ Certification as a GAME Plan Practitioner
✅ All for a one-time investment of just £395 (£295 with Coupon WHOLESALE100).

Plus, enjoy full Academy Membership (including HapNav, MoneyFitt, and unlimited mentor email support) for only £19/month extra.

🎯 Learn while you earn.
🌿 Grow your future without giving up the present.
🔑 Step into a more purposeful, client-centred way of working.

This is more than a training—it’s your soft launch into a more meaningful, autonomous professional life.

📍 Ready to make a start—however small?
👉 Enrol Now and begin the transition from obligation to vocation.

Your future clients are waiting.
And your next chapter doesn’t have to wait any longer.

🍷🚪 Curtain Call, Town Hall Warriors!

🏆 Scatter freely from the waffle, but oh—plot twist: there's homework. Because of course, there is. 📚 Check out the hyperlinks we’ve tossed around like a trail of digital breadcrumbs. 📎 Consider the gossip mill officially closed for the week.

Could you survive another round of the Academy’s infamous Friday Lunch Bunch?  Join us this week on 👉 Friday, May 9th, 12:00 noon UK 🎟️🕛 or if you’re craving a blast from the past, 👉 browse through our legendary pranks . 🌟

That’s a Wrap for Today’s Broadcast 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in! Until next time!

Keep those waffles waving and your spirits high! 🧇🌟,

Steve 

Academy of Life Planning 🧀

Email: steve.conley@aolp.co.uk

P.S.Buckle up, financial adventurers, and dive into the latest blog from the Academy of Life Planning (AoLP) – your self-proclaimed partner in transformational financial life planning. 🌟📚 Check out their latest post and learn how to turn your financial dreams into reality—or at least a well-organized plan. Happy navigating! 🚀💼  Academy of Life Planning: Your Partner in Transformational Financial Life Planning

P.P.S. If you know anyone who would like to be added to our mailing list, please share this link.

Websites: Steve Conley, Academy of Life Planning, Planning My Life, Financial Life Coach, Steve's Blog.

Copyright the Academy of Life Planning Limited 2024. Contact us by email at info@aolp.co. The Academy of Life Planning Limited is a service sector trading company regulated by the Competition and Markets Authority and Registered in England and Wales number 8016568. Registered office address 9 Franklin Way, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, PE23 5GG, United Kingdom. Information Commissioner's Office reference number ZA502687.

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