Do money bequests have to be paid before a house is sold to fund them?

My mother bequeathed specific sums of money to other relatives which exceed the total amount of liquid assets in her bank accounts, but I haven't managed to sell her house to fund the payments yet. Is it feasible to pay part of the bequest, £5,000 of £15,000 for example, until the property is sold and then pay the balance?

Fraudsters and scam artists are criminals who target and prey on society's most vulnerable. They are an evil that needs to be tackled.

Fifty-one per cent of people yet to retire haven't started saving anything into a pension pot, while just under half have no idea how much money they'll need, Skipton Building Society said.

The rates on annuities, which pay an income for life, have plunged, meaning many people are waiting for these rock-bottom payouts to rise.

Those with pension pots have become prime targets for a variety of scams since new rules were introduced in April 2015, giving savers easier access to their retirement funds.

Steve Webb also called on these pensioners to consider all pros and cons when offered high sums for giving up all of their company pension right.

Worries over people running out of money in their retirement years and how public services will cope are weighing heavily on the perception that a longer life is a good thing, a survey said.

My mum is in a care home - can dad leave their house to us children instead?

My mother has recently moved out of her home where she lived with my father, which they jointly own, into a dementia care home permanently. My father still lives in the house. Their wills are arranged so that the house goes to the surviving partner when one of them dies and then is shared between the children when the remaining partner passes. As my mother will never be able to return home dad wants to change his will so that his half of the house goes directly to the children.

LIVE WEB CHAT: Ask a question to former pensions minister Steve Webb

Former pensions minister Steve Webb today answered readers' pension questions in a live web chat - or as we called it here at This is Money, a Webbchat. The transcript of the Webbchat is here and there is plenty in there to peruse for all pension savers.

State pension gets 2.5% rise to £159.55 and £122.30 thanks to triple-lock

The rises of just under £4 per week and £3 per week, mean Chancellor Philip Hammond stuck to a Tory triple-lock pledge to decide annual rises in the state pension by whatever is the highest of price inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5 per cent. But he has ordered a review into the cost of the guarantee and whether it is affordable.

Baby boomers are having a tough time trying to find stocks that pay a good dividend yield to sustain them in retirement. A broker has revealed nine shares it sees fitting the bill.

Anyone who fears they may soon be unable to manage their affairs because of illness or age can appoint someone to manage their money on their behalf - this is called power of attorney.

Pension firms used scaremongering tactics to pressure ministers into a U-turn and deny five million savers the chance to trade in rip-off annuities for a lump sum.

The Pensions Dashboard is 'a platform that lets savers see all their pension pots in one place and will help them to plan for their retirement more effectively.'

FCA to force pension firms to give savers best rival annuity quote

Buyers will have to be told the difference between a provider's own offer and the best deal available - in pounds and pence annual income - from an annuity comparison tool covering every firm in the market. The proposal is aimed at ensuring older people realise how much they could gain from shopping around and switching provider to get the maximum income to see them through retirement, following official studies showing many still get stuck with shoddy deals.

The initiative is aimed at stopping scammers and unregulated firms from tricking savers into putting money into fraudulent or high-risk schemes.

A demand for the Government to ditch the valuable pledge in 2020 was launched by MPs over the weekend. So how does the triple lock work, and what might replace it?

Can MPs who stopped savers cashing in annuities really understand their pain?

Until 2015, most savers bought annuities to turn their pensions into a retirement income. Then new pension freedom rules meant this was no longer necessary. Initially, the Government promised to extend the freedoms to all by launching a secondary annuity market, where older savers could cash in old deals. But, in October, the plan was ditched.

The crackdown on rip-off penalties follows an outcry from savers aged over 55, who faced shelling out thousands of pounds to access or move their money using pension freedoms.

Over-55s who start accessing their pension pots will only be able to put away £4,000 a year and still automatically qualify for tax relief from next April, down from £10,000 at present.

Baroness Bakewell, the Lib Dem spokeswoman for pensions, has tabled an amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill calling on the Treasury to honour its commitment to let people sell their annuities.

Lifetime Isa savers set to receive stiff warnings when opening accounts

Watchdogs have proposed robust safeguards for younger savers buying new Lifetime Isas, as two former Pensions Ministers raise the alarm about a potential sales scandal. Lifetime Isas have provoked a barrage of criticism amid fears younger people will make poor decisions that leave them out of pocket in the long run.

Lasting power of attorney: Why you need this and how to set it up

One vital document gives family members authority to handle the financial affairs of a loved one in need - meaning they can stay on top of household bills. It is known as a lasting power of attorney. But 44million people do not have this document - 85 per cent of the UK adult population. And two-fifths of adults do not know what one is. James Ashwell set up the firm Unforgettable after caring for his mother Fay

Before you make any decisions, it's generally a good idea to get a complete picture of your financial situation. We run through how to get started.

Under laws introduced last year, everyone aged over 55 should be able to withdraw as much as they want from their pensions. But five million pensioners have been denied these freedoms.

Make cold calls about pensions and investments illegal, demands petition from Darren Cooke

The petition, launched by Darren Cooke, says: 'Banning cold calling would dramatically reduce the number of people falling prey to fraudsters and losing their savings and pensions.' More than 3,500 people, including Ros Altmann and Steve Webb, are backing the initiative. Cooke, director of Red Circle Financial Planning in South Normanton, told This is Money he hoped to 'cut off the food source' of fraudsters.

Burdened with servicing debts of more than £20,000 each, nearly a quarter of people under 40 say they do not save into a pension because they can't afford to, Prudential claims.

Mistakes in official records mean around 30,000 people are being underpaid the state pension, the Department for Work and Pensions has admitted.

Pensioners risk losing £1,000 as MPs call for an end to ‘triple lock’ rise

Labour MP Frank Field led calls by the Work and Pensions Committee for an end to the 'triple lock' guarantee. He said it was 'unfair and unsustainable' when children were twice as likely as pensioners to be living in poverty. The triple lock, which was introduced by David Cameron in 2012, increases the state pension each year by either the rate of inflation, the rise in average earnings, or 2.5 per cent, whichever is highest. It has pushed the basic state pension to £119.30 a week - or £12,408 a year for a couple.

The trick is ideal for those in their early 60s who retire, but then are offered a job opportunity. Under the rule, if you stop taking your state pension, you get a boost when you retire for a second time.

Secret law that says you CAN cash in your annuity

Money Mail has uncovered an obscure legal loophole that enables over-55s to cash in annuities for pots worth less than £10,000. The legislation, allegedly buried by government officials, offers a lifeline to pensioners who are locked into deals that turned their savings into a retirement income. The discovery should have been cause for celebration after ministers last week axed plans to allow five million savers to swap any annuity for a lump sum. But insurers are threatening to block customers who attempt to use the law to get at their cash.

After spending a year-and-a-half promising five million retired savers that the pension freedoms would be extended to them, the whole plan was canned in a short statement.

Scaling back final salary pension payouts to savers could be an option to help firms at risk of going bust, an influential industry body has suggested.

Toni Leigh Hall, who was made up to look age 65 for a pensions campaign, pictured, started to save two years ago and is on track to have a reasonable income when she retires.

The Government drive to auto-enrol all workers into pensions has led to the rise of an estimated 100 master trusts, which manage centralised funds for several employers at once.

Double blow for savers with annuity sale U-turn and tax relief threat

Politicians are being lobbied heavily by insurers to hack back a perk known as tax relief for middle- class workers who are in their 30s and older. At present, savers do not pay income tax on money they put into a pension. It means that £1 paid into a pension costs a basic-rate taxpayer 80p and a higher rate taxpayer 60p.

The proposals would have allowed as many as five million retirees with to sell their pension incomes in return for a lump sum. The move would have been a lifeline for savers trapped for life in poor-value deals.

The Government came 'very close' to dropping the current pension tax relief system in favour of the 'absolute disaster' of everyone saving for retirement into Isas, reveals Lady Altmann.

A report by the Care Quality Commission last week found services for the elderly were nearing breaking point and warned of a wave of home closures if staff and funding gaps are not filled.

This is how mis-selling scandals tend to play out. It starts with a few brave souls complaining that they got a raw deal. They're called loonies and their pleas for recompense fall on deaf ears.

Can my parents keep their wills secret from my brother?

My eldest brother wants to see our parents' wills and mine to see what is left to him so he can plan for his future and make sure his children are ok. Both our parents are poorly and I'm their main carer. I still live at home and dropped my hours so I can do more for them. I do not have a pension so mum and dad have made sure that the house comes to me.My other brother is all for it but the other thinks he should get his share and if he didn't like what's in the will he wants to change it.

Thousands of retirees in poor health could have been deprived of hundreds of pounds every year that they have spent decades grafting to be able to put aside for their old age.

Until last year, most people bought so-called annuities when they retired. These complicated insurance deals turn a pension pot into a guaranteed income for life.

Over the past few days, we have learnt that a document has been circulating among Government Ministers arguing for a radical overhaul of pension tax breaks.

The state pension age is due to rise to 67 for both men and women by 2028. But ex-CBI boss John Cridland has been tasked with recommending further increases beyond that point.

Slap fines on fims that try to wriggle out of pension promises, MPs told

Both the pension rescue scheme and the regulator want greater powers to prevent funds being dumped when firms are sold. The risks were laid bare following the collapse of retail chain BHS, and separate concerns have been raised by the recent sale of troubled turkey firm Bernard Matthews, a move which left its near £20million pension scheme deficit to be shouldered by the Pension Protection Fund.

The increase in popularity in property as an investment across the UK reflects rising confidence in house prices, the Office for National Statistics said.

People in England aged 55 and over currently own £1.5trillion worth of property, £0.1trillion more than Italy's annual GDP, according to research.

A typical pension scheme that in 2010 would have taken 10 years to be back in the black is forecast to take more than double the time - 23 years, according to reports.

Over half a million workers who retire before pension age could get a boost to their state pension in exchange for a relatively small sum of money, according to analysis.

The benefit to public finances from Osborne's reforms will peak at £2.3billion in 2018-19, before turning negative from 2021-22 and generating an annual bill of £5billion by 2034-35.

The investigation is set to scrutinise 'pre-pack' administration deals, which can allow a company to keep trading while leaving creditors, including its pension fund, out of pocket.

Fund managers will be required to breakdown the transaction costs incurred by the workplace pension funds that invest with them, under new proposals.

Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb says that up to 50,000 women could be at risk of losing out. Those affected are women who took time out of work to care for children in the 1980s and 1990s.

Family feuds over inheritance are on the rise, says law firm

The number of inheritance disputes reaching the High Court each year has soared to a record high due to the intricacies of modern family life and rising property prices, according to a law firm. Some 116 cases were brought in the High Court under the Inheritance Act last year compared with 15 in 2005 - an eight-fold increase in the annual figure. But this still relatively small number represents the tip of the iceberg of disputes which are either settled or end up in County Court, according to Dan Winter, partner at Nockolds.

I am currently my mother's only beneficiary but she is considering making my daughter one too. My daughter has married recently - would her husband have a right to half of what she inherited?

My husband and I made joint wills. We are divorced and he remarried three years ago. He has recently passed away and didn't make a will with his new wife. Is his old will with me valid?

MS sufferer battles for 18 months to draw early pension from Premier Foods

Jane Walker, from Heswall in Merseyside, made repeated requests for help and information from Premier Foods' pension scheme from April 2015 onwards, but got nowhere until This is Money intervened. A former human resources officer, Mrs Walker worked at Premier for 11 years until 2004, and she wants to make the most of her savings now due to her serious illness which has left her unable to work.

Savers with Prudential are only allowed to use new freedoms to dip into their pension pot regularly if they pay to see a financial adviser - and some are blocking clearing debt.

Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green said there was a need to look at the issue of 'inter-generational fairness' over the long term in Britain. But he said no changes would come in before 2020.

Savers have been stampeding to cash in their gold-plated pensions under new rules which allow customers to take their retirement pot as a lump sum.

Most new retirees are striking a careful balance between rewarding themselves for years of hard work while also making sure pension savings won't run out, finds a Prudential survey.

How do you fix final salary deficits? Seven ways to tackle the crisis

Some 11million savers are still in line for a guaranteed income for life in retirement, but those in underfunded schemes will be wondering if they can still rely on this promise. Yet any move towards allowing employers to duck responsibilities to staff is very politically sensitive - it would anger great swathes of older savers, a group who tend to vote. We explain the crisis facing final salary schemes and explore some solutions being put forward.

Get ready for pension freedom - but dodge the tax traps and beware of fraud

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.

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For decades it has been the default option for most people on the day you retire: you take 25 per cent of your pension as a tax-free lump sum.

Seven out of 10 people find it 'shocking' and 'unfair' when they realise taking full advantage of the Goverment's pension freedom reforms could land them with a surprise tax bill.

Armchair guide to the great shake-up: Are you sitting comfortably? Then here is how

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.

   

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Investing: don't miss

It is just over three years since fund manager Mark Wharrier returned to investment house BlackRock after a ten-year absence working for a rival. It has been a triumphant return.

How to invest your pension in drawdown

While many people dislike the idea of an annuity, the alternative means keeping your pension invested in retirement and managing it yourself - a process that can be confusing and full of pitfalls. So here's a checklist, from investing, to income, taxes, the state pension, inheritance, illness, financial advice and much else.

Pension age deadlines are more fluid as older people have gained greater control over retirement dates and finances - but some birthdays are still markers for decisions and action.

I will reach state pension age before next April so I am allowed to top up my state pension, but I am in two minds about whether to do this.

'Pension recycling' allows people to boost their retirement pot by generating extra tax relief - but anyone tempted risks a financial penalty if they overstep the rules.

Retirees can now find more flexible income from drawdown, multi-asset funds and so called 'third- way' products that combine annuities and exposure to the stock market.

Our pensions are changing - radically. Some say for better, others for worse. We say, make yourself as best informed as you can be with a copy of this super free guide.

Pensions Road Sign against threatening clouds

We tend to put ambitious targets on our hoped-for income in retirement and then underestimate how much we will need to set aside to achieve that. So how much should you save?

Happy retirement: But how long will you have to wait for your state pension?

Most of us have a clear idea of how we plan to use our tax-free lump sum. Far more important is what we do with the remaining three-quarters.

The new web option, which offers state pension forecasts to people of all ages, hasn't been fully publicised yet - but you can test out the early 'beta' version and provide feedback.

Why more families are going to court over inheritance

Modern family dynamics are also causing more rows, with divorce, second marriages, stepchildren and half-brothers and sisters now common. The more extended the family, the more likely it is that arguments will arise. One of the most recent high-profile cases is a dispute over the legacy left by Lynda Bellingham, who starred in the Oxo adverts in the Eighties.

Are you ready to embrace income drawdown after pension freedom?

Instead of being stuck with stingy annuities, retirees now have the freedom to dip into their pensions using income drawdown. These schemes allow you to take sums out of your pension pot while the rest stays invested. So what are the advantages and risks of doing this, and what schemes are on offer? We run through the main options now, and look ahead to what might become available in future.

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.

Daily grind: Are your pension savings in an investment fund with the kind of performance that makes it all worth while in the end?

If you signed up to a work pension scheme but took no further action, your savings are most likely in a 'default' investment fund. How do you check if it's any good?

Television Programme: Deal Or No Deal with Noel Edmonds.

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With-profits policyholders often face an impossible choice about when to take their benefits. Turn down today's offer and tomorrow's may be lower. How can you decide when it's time to leave?

Old people / couple (figurines) - sitting on a pile of money coins - savings / bills / financial / investment / pensions concept.
BH2YX5 
savings, money, finance, pensions, savings, money, finance, pensions, retirement, coins, pensioners, future, security, insurance, savings, money, finance, pensions

The majority of employees change jobs several times in their working lives - with the average person working for 11 different employers.

Should you take the risk out of your pension investments before retirement?

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.

The finishing touches:

Senior woman relaxing on float in swimming pool, portrait
MIDDLE AGED WOMAN IN A SWIMMING POOL HOLDING A DRINK
WEARING SWIMSUIT AND SUNGLASSES
WOAM RELAXING IN POOL

Hunting down travel cover can be both difficult and expensive with older travellers typically paying more for insurance because they are judged more likely to claim.

Jeff Prestridge looks at legitimate ways in which the 40 per cent tax can be avoided, outlining six key steps for readers. Bridget Jones, pictured, has taken out insurance.

What should you do with a pension pot of £30k, £50k or £100k?

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.

Hand it over: How much will you fork over to the taxman if you withdraw all your pension at once?

Talk of 'pensions freedom' has left some savers with the impression they can take their entire pot and pay little or no tax. That is not true. We explain what will happen.

Hefty: Pensioner households spend more than £10,000-a-year on basic living costs.

The average cost of being a pensioner is £10,387-a-year, according to analysis that focused on how much over-65s spend on basic necessities.

Complex: Don't know your ACCs from your TERs? This guide will help you find your way through tricky pensions and investing terms.

Anyone going it alone when they're investing their pension could be met with a confusing array of jargon, even when carrying out the simplest of tasks.

Quandary: Some final salary savers want the flexibility that is being offered to defined contribution members.

Insurers have noted a rise in the number of calls from final salary pension savers about transferring to a money purchase scheme since the Budget.

Complex: The majority of people in defined contribution pension schemes have little involvement with where their money's invested.

Confused? Many pension savers are unaware how much they are being charged.

Pensions minister Steve Webb has announced that all defined contribution workplace pension providers will have to offer complete transparency to savers

Happily married: Couples are among the winners in the pension shake-up

A new flat rate state pension worth £144 a week in today's money is being introduced from 2016, while complicated and unfair old rules are being swept away. What will the changes mean for you?

Looking to draw up a will? Make sure you're not taken for a ride by cowboy will writers

Are you at risk of leaving your family with nothing but legal bills because of a badly written will? Find out what your options are and how to guard yourself against an invalid will.

Knot

Combining pension pots built up in different jobs could make real financial sense

Big decision: Deborah Hillier-Paul has more time  for walking

A major report into how pension pots are turned into income at retirement is expected to be published by the Financial Conduct Authority this week.

Marriage changes: State pensions will be calculated based on individual working records from 2016, so people will no longer be able to rely on their spouse's record.

Almost two million married retirees receive a state pension top-up based on their partner's work record but this will close to all claimants in 2016. This is Money takes a look at who this will affect.

Tools: Sipps allow you to manage your own pension investments but come with different costs

The rise of DIY online investing has transformed the way people are able to save for retirement, but navigating the maze of Sipp charges can be a tricky task.

My brother-in-law's partner maxed out his cash machine limit before he died

Legal expert Nigel Shepherd, national chair of family law organisation Resolution, explains what a partner can claim from an estate, and how the cash machine withdrawal might affect this case. Shepherd also looks at how to avoid legal costs swallowing up a small estate in disputes like this one.

People who cash in or move pension pots will no longer face rip-off charges after the introduction of a 1% cap next April. But what if you have already paid, or want your pension before next Spring?

My transfer value quoted 12 months ago was just over £115k but the current figure is just under £75k. The administrators will not divulge the assumptions they have used to explain this significant fall in value.

I have Power of Attorney for my mum who is 95 and in a care home. Is it OK for me to sell her house as the tenants renting it have given notice?

My employer is closing its final salary pension scheme to new contributions from all staff still in it and is transferring us to a defined contribution plan.

If I die and my husband remarries, how do I ensure my kids inherit my money?

I want to ensure that if I die before my husband he gets the money, but if he remarried and then died my half would end up with my children not any new spouse or her children. How can I safeguard so that any new wife would not reap the rewards of what we have built up and at some point my children will get something from my estate?

The final salary pension fund at my company is in deficit. The situation has not been helped by the big market falls since the New Year. How worried should I be about this?

I have inherited a pension pot from an elderly relative. I am not sure what to do with it. What are the rules? Pension export David Smith of Tilney Bestinvest explains.

Can I dispute will of a deceased relative preyed on by family member?

He suddenly kept turning up on my relative's doorstep prior to her death after ignoring her for years, redid her will to leave all assets to his own wife and appointed himself executor. By the time family members had been informed of the death, he and his wife had the house cleared out and all family items sent to an auction, and had a fast funeral with no announcement or attendees apart from him and his kids. We have no idea how much the assets were worth but there were valuable paintings, antiques and at least £50,000 in cash. Is this legal and what action can be taken?

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