http://www.ft.com/yourmoney/advice/wealthquestionshttp://www.ft.com/rss/yourmoney/advice/asktheftFT.com - Ask the FTen© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2008. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. See http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/terms#legal1 for the terms and conditions of reuse.support@ft.comFri, 18 Jul 2008 17:34 BSTThu, 24 Jul 2008 20:27:53 BSTNewspapers60http://news.ft.com/cms/d1f3ce1a-6bbe-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.gifhttp://www.ft.com/yourmoney/advice/wealthquestions(PICS-1.1 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" L gen true for "http://www.ft.com/" r (SS~~000 1))http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e072c12-54e5-11dd-ae9c-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e072c12-54e5-11dd-ae9c-000077b07658.htmlMy wife and I own a flat which we purchased eight years ago and rented out. We own a house which we intend to sell within the next couple of years, when we will then move into the flat. As we understand it, no CGT will be payable on our house, but how long would we need to live in the flat to avoid CGT?Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:34 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0139950e-4f67-11dd-b050-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0139950e-4f67-11dd-b050-000077b07658.htmlWhat is reasonable remuneration for administering an enduring power of attorney for my mother? Could I pay myself £3,333 a year – equivalent to a month's salary, or would I be accused of running down her estate to the £21,500 threshold to get the local authority to take over the payment of her care costs?Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:18 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/640d162e-49e5-11dd-891a-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/640d162e-49e5-11dd-891a-000077b07658.htmlMy wife and I bought a house in 2006 for £170,000 on a two-year fixed-rate mortgage of 4.99 per cent. This reverts to a standard variable rate of 7.25 per cent next month. Should we pay off our mortgage as soon as possible, or should we leave money in our funds?Fri, 4 Jul 2008 19:00 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3268785e-4461-11dd-b151-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3268785e-4461-11dd-b151-0000779fd2ac.htmlI want to wipe out my higher-rate tax liability this year by contributing all earnings over the 40 per cent threshold into my pension. Can you explain the calculation for working out how much to contribute to maximise the 40 per cent relief?Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:15 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ce6a6f0a-3ef3-11dd-8fd9-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ce6a6f0a-3ef3-11dd-8fd9-0000779fd2ac.htmlMy sister is sole executor of my deceased uncle's will, but she has given money away without discussion or agreement, paid herself a fee and claimed expenses. I also believe she has not disclosed the true value of the estate for probate. Am legally entitled to see the paperwork? Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:28 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/72cee7c0-396c-11dd-90d7-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/72cee7c0-396c-11dd-90d7-0000779fd2ac.htmlI have a longstanding portfolio at a stockbroker and introduced a friend to the firm. The broker has told me it will pay me an "introducers" fee on an annual basis of 0.5 per cent of the value of the portfolio. I have no connection to the financial services industry, but the broker says it is standard practice. Do I need to declare these payments to HM Revenue & Customs? Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:19 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e700268e-33ec-11dd-869b-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e700268e-33ec-11dd-869b-0000779fd2ac.htmlMy married daughter lives in France, has two children and is not employed. She receives €845 from the state, comprising child benefit, a payment for looking after the children at home, plus a small amount to help towards her mortgage. This is her only income in France. She is married under "la régime de la communauté" and taxed jointly with her husband – although at present they pay no tax because their income isn't high enough. Fri, 6 Jun 2008 18:43 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e8a360e4-2e76-11dd-ab55-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e8a360e4-2e76-11dd-ab55-000077b07658.htmlShould I invest spare income into my pension or use it to pay down my mortgage? The mortgage rate is 4.55 per cent. I earn £60,000 a year and my pension receives 16 per cent of salary. Is there a "hurdle rate" I need to achieve to make pension investing the better option? Fri, 30 May 2008 19:49 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3c6ed824-28ec-11dd-96ce-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3c6ed824-28ec-11dd-96ce-000077b07658.htmlI hear that mothers who stayed at home to care for children may be entitled to higher state pensions after the government admitted that it shortchanged them on National Insurance credits. Might I be entitled to a higher pension and how do I go about checking? Fri, 23 May 2008 18:27 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/54aa9c80-236e-11dd-b214-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/54aa9c80-236e-11dd-b214-000077b07658.htmlMy father died recently and left his half of the family home equally to me and my brother. I am the executor of his will. My brother and I already each own a quarter-share of the house and my brother lives there but pays me no rent. He has indicated that he wants to keep the house and buy me out. I fear that he will be unreasonable. What steps can I take to prevent this?Fri, 16 May 2008 18:41 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2175d80a-1dee-11dd-983a-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2175d80a-1dee-11dd-983a-000077b07658.htmlAs comfortably-off pensioners, we have done well out of this year's income tax changes – including the "scrapping" of the 10 per cent rate. I am 75 and my wife is 70. Is there anything we can do to make our income more tax-efficient?Fri, 9 May 2008 18:48 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c8855a7c-12e4-11dd-8d91-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c8855a7c-12e4-11dd-8d91-0000779fd2ac.htmlWealth Questions (April 12/13) identified how some older people and low earners would still benefit from the 10% income tax band on savings interest. It seems particularly unfair that someone on my very low income should lose out from the scrapping of this lower rate band. Just what is the logic of these changes? Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:40 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0230a180-0d38-11dd-b90a-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0230a180-0d38-11dd-b90a-0000779fd2ac.htmlPrior to April 6, small self- administered schemes (SSASs) offered one of the last remaining "loopholes" allowing pension assets to be passed down to family members on death without incurring heavy tax charges. Now, though, that loophole has been closedFri, 18 Apr 2008 17:56 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/09cfc74a-0d38-11dd-b90a-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/09cfc74a-0d38-11dd-b90a-0000779fd2ac.htmlAm I right in thinking that the value of "free" workplace medical insurance is very variable? My employer is quoting an individual taxable benefit rate of £900 a year. How would this cost compare with private medical insurance bought commercially?Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:44 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a5b2b8be-07b3-11dd-a922-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a5b2b8be-07b3-11dd-a922-0000779fd2ac.htmlWealth Questions (April 5/6) says that in the 2008/9 tax year, older people can still benefit from the lower 10 per cent rate for the next £2,320 of their income. I thought the 10 per cent rate was being abolished, hence the political hoo-hah this week. Under what circumstances is it still claimable?Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:57 BST