Pension savers are being warned to be on their guard against fraudsters who pass themselves off as working for Pension Wise, the Government-backed pension guidance service - but whose aim is to con you out of your savings. These scammers have emerged in the wake of reforms that give the over-55s greater freedom over how they spend their pension pots. Stuart and Karen Woolley (pictured) were approached.

Pension companies have reported a flood of queries in recent weeks from pensioners who exchanged retirement pots for annuities - a fixed income for life - but who now want out. Many pensioners have the false impression they can now cash in unwanted annuities as easily as they can their pension plans.

Savers keen to cash in pensions offering above-average payouts are being locked out from the new pension freedoms - because financial advisers fear ruinous claims for compensation if those savers later sue them. In an unexpected twist to the April reforms, many workers who would benefit from a generous guaranteed annuity rate - or income for life - are finding it almost impossible to get their hands on their pot. Many advisers are unwilling to offer professional help in case the saver's retirement fund later runs out - and they end up being sued for giving poor advice.

Women's anticipated life span will increase to 87.6 years and men's to 85.7 years for people living in England and Wales in 2030, according to new research. That's up from a respective 83.3 years and 79.5 years for people alive in 2012. And in the wake of pension freedom, many retirees are going to face a tough choice between eking out their pension pots for much longer, or giving in and buying a poor value annuity to get the guaranteed income.

New rules allowing people to keep their pension invested and draw on it as they wish have left many scratching their heads as to how to invest. We asked Alan Higham, retirement director at Fidelity Worldwide Investment, for his thoughts on what people should consider.

A Money Mail investigation has revealed how salesmen are flogging plots on a 13-acre allotment close to the town of Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire. The savers, who say the firm offering the plots calls out of the blue, are being told they'll pocket 10 per cent a year by renting the plots to gardeners who are unable to get a council-run allotment. Derek Williams, whose name we have changed, is among the readers who have been targeted. The 60-year-old from Scotland says the salesman told him it was a 'great opportunity'.

Retirement experts have received an extraordinary mix of queries since pension rules were relaxed last week allowing people to choose when and how much they withdraw from their pots. One customer wanted to buy a speedboat, while others prepared to risk their pensions on the General Election.

I'm looking for what to do with my pension pot in a few months when I retire. Ideally I'd like to not buy an annuity, and hopefully keep some or all of the pot to pass on to my wife or the next generation. While I'd be happy researching which funds to invest in now, I guess I'm not the best person to do this and I certainly wouldn't want to be doing this with a fading memory or mental capacity.

The huge overhaul allows older savers unrestricted access to their whole pension pots, and removes the need to buy an annuity to provide guaranteed income for life. But pension experts warn freedom reforms bring big and serious risks, like fraudsters stealing people's life savings, baffled retirees paying far too much tax, and the possibility of some treating their savings like a cash windfall and blowing them too fast.

It's taken 20 years of campaigning by this newspaper - sometimes against governments of the day, other times against big corporate vested interests in the financial world. But after all the battling - and going a little greyer on top - it's time to raise a glass of prosecco and toast a new era. The great pensions revolution has arrived: goodbye unwieldy, straight- jacketing pensions; hello pensions fit for a modern, flexible Britain. From April 6, the pension pendulum swings firmly from provider to you, the consumer, the investor. Rejoice.

Today I received a cold call and follow-up email from a company about pensions advice. How can I tell if it's true or a scam? Or can you point me in a better direction? This is Money asked a pension expert to explain what to do if you're approached by a firm that seems legitimate, but might be trying to steal your pension savings.

Watchdogs plan to strong-arm annuity providers into helping people buy better and more suitable products to fund their retirement. Firms will be forced to rank annuity quotations so that people can easily identify the best ones, and to overhaul and behaviourally test information packs to make them easier to understand and encourage people to shop around.

Figures show 861 inheritance cases were heard in the High Court in 2013 compared with 490 in 2012 - a 76 per cent increase. And when new figures become available, the number is expected to increase again. Soaring house prices and the complicated nature of modern families - with second marriages and estranged children now common - are thought to be at the heart of the startling rise.

Over-55s will be able to cash in their entire pension from this April, an opportunity that could tempt many to plunge their savings into buy-to-let property. But there are pitfalls, first and not least the huge tax bill you could face for taking all the money at once. Retirees seeking a reliable income stream, plus the possibility of growing their savings, might decide they are better off putting their money in an invest-and-drawdown scheme instead. Read our guide and decide which is the best option for you.

The over-50s are the ones to watch when it comes to start-ups and new pension freedom rules mean an extra opportunity to tap into cash for business ideas. A recent report from the Global
Entrepreneurship Monitor highlighted this age group as being increasingly entrepreneurial. We explain the options and pitfalls of using your pension pot to fund a business.

People nearing retirement traditionally switch savings out of risky investments and into safer assets, but pension freedom reforms are likely to prompt a big rethink of this practice. That's because derisking - or 'lifestyling' as it's also known - is normally done in preparation for buying an annuity, but many more people will be opting to stay invested an draw down an iincome in future.

Pension freedom reforms will give people more decision-making power over their retirement savings from next year. The options to access your money, spend or invest it will widen - although your choices will still largely depend on the size of your pension pot. Financial experts Mark Stone of Whitechurch Securities and Ben Westaway of Jessop Financial Planning explain both your opportunities and the limitations on them.

I'm worried I might not qualify for the new full state pension, but I can't check because the Government is only sending forecasts to people aged 55 and over. I fear that some of my employers opted me out of the second-tier state pension without me realising what they were doing or the implications of it at the time. I don't recall ever signing anything specific, but they might have notified me in the packets of bumpf they sent me and I never read.

My wife is due to hit state pension age in the next two years. But during our 40-year marriage she has never paid any National Insurance contributions. I thought that women who stayed at home would receive some of their husband's pension when they retired. But I'm now alarmed to learn that changes to the system mean she could now retire with nothing. Is this correct?

I have recently been informed that one of the pensions I have been drawing since my retirement in 2010 has been paid in error. The pension payments have been halted and I am being told that the money paid to date is to be repaid. As this has arisen due to no fault of my own and the pension was accepted in good faith, am I legally liable to repay the money? If so can I reasonably claim a nominal £100 for the inconvenience?