Tasting menus are a great alternative to a traditional à la carte menu, giving diners the opportunity to try a little bit of a lot of dishes. They can take away the quandary of what to order, or the disappointment of wishing you’d had something different. The premise of this type of menu is a carefully curated selection of dishes created by the restaurant’s chef, designed to complement each other and served in a designated order. For a while, it seemed tasting menus might disappear in favour of small plates and street food. But the Guardian cites Brexit, Covid, and the conflict in Ukraine as causing a U-turn. Tasting menus offer some stability to restaurants, with advance bookings, set prices,... Read More

From April 2027, pensions are expected to fall within your estate and could be liable for Inheritance Tax (IHT). That date might seem far away, but the policy change has the potential to significantly affect your estate plan, so thinking about it now could be useful. While the policy change is still in the initial stage, the government has signalled that it intends to move forward with the plans. Under current rules, your pension usually falls outside of your estate when calculating a potential IHT bill. As a result, pensions are often used in tax-efficient strategies to pass on wealth to loved ones. The inclusion of pensions may mean some estates might need to consider IHT for the first time,... Read More

Financial biases are often linked to investing. However, subconscious tendencies can affect many aspects of your finances, including your estate plan. An estate plan sets out how your assets will be managed during your lifetime and distributed after your death. It might include writing a will or creating a trust to provide for young children. As estate planning can be emotional, it’s not surprising that behavioural biases could affect how you approach the task. So, here are three ways biases might affect your estate plan. 1. Putting off your estate plan due to emotions or overconfidence Trying to avoid confronting difficult emotions means some people put off estate planning altogether. A February 2025 survey carried out by JMW Solicitors found... Read More

One of the retirement challenges many people face is how to handle wealth decumulation. During your working life, you’re typically working to increase your wealth, and this usually shifts as you enter retirement. So, if you’re retired or are nearing the milestone, read on to find out more about decumulation dilemmas and how you might manage them. Changing your mindset may be the first decumulation dilemma You might expect retirement challenges to focus on your money. Yet, one of the first obstacles to overcome is often your mindset. After decades of saving money or contributing to your pension, it can feel strange to start depleting your assets, even when you’ve built them up to fund retirement. For some retirees struggling... Read More

Understanding where your wealth is coming from and how you’re using it could help you make more informed decisions. However, as so many assets are intangible, having a clear picture of your wealth can be difficult. Finding ways to visualise all your assets is often useful, and something people have been doing for centuries. When you hear the term “Exchequer”, you might think of the government’s economic and finance ministry or the position of chancellor of the Exchequer, which in 2025 is held by Rachel Reeves. However, the term is much older than the position. The government explains that it is derived from a chequered cloth that was used by accountants in the 11th century to aid auditing by providing... Read More