Q. My father has gifted me a large amount of money and with it we intend buying a house and setting up a trust for the children.  I understand that my father has to survive 7 years before the gift escapes inheritance tax.  What would happen if he did not survive 7 years? A. The gift… Read more »

Q. It looks as though my marital relationship has broken down and my wife and I are contemplating divorce. I am pleased to say everything looks as though it will be amicable, however, we would like to know what the best way to deal with my pension would be.  I have quite significant amounts of… Read more »

Q. My wife and I, who are both approaching retirement age, used to work for the same employer that provided us with a generous final salary pension scheme. Unfortunately neither of us were there very long so our forecasted pensions are quite low. We have both recently received information from the scheme, and whilst the… Read more »

Q. I have been watching with interest the developments in cashing in pensions since the budget in March. I know that more flexibility is coming from April next year, but I have a number of small pensions and a colleague of mine has suggested that it is possible to cash in up to £60,000 now. This… Read more »

Q. My employer has just told me that they intend to auto-enrol me into a company pension scheme? Should I join? I am 54 so it hardly seems worth it as the total contribution is only going to be £40 per month? A. In the past, this was often a difficult question to answer, as a… Read more »