'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.

Death is unavoidable – but the way we are laid to rest is still largely in our control. We examine the key decisions you need to make on a funeral.

Many people put off thinking about their mortality. But there is vital paperwork to sort out before your time comes to an end.

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.

Pension freedoms mean retirees can now invest their savings how they like rather than buy a stingy annuity. But what do you need to consider and plan ahead for when funding retirement this way?

Elderly investors have to balance the need to make withdrawals yet keep a pot as intact as possible - whether to avoid running out of money or bequeath a pension to loved ones.

My husband died very suddenly three months ago. He had changed his pensions over for me to be the beneficiary. His ex-wife has now contacted me. Can she have a claim on his pensions?

My husband left me in the first week of January 2016 and I have neither seen or heard from him since. I have no idea where he might be and every search draws a blank. Lawyer Katie Spooner replies.

This has come as a huge shock. My father's family have no clue who this woman is. Dad's new will was written less than a year before death while he was sick in hospital.

The couple managed to convince HMRC they were unaware his filling in the child benefit form could result in her losing state pension in old age, in a case that could help many other parents.

I feel like my aunt gave her solicitor power of attorney as a friend and now she is unable to understand he is charging her. I disagree with his actions, so what can I do? Lawyer Fiona Heald replies.

If we were to sell the property to our two children for £70,000 as this is the figure we considered for equity release, would there be any problems?

He has instructed a solicitor based on him saying that the only reason he moved in with me was because I said 'I would see him right re owning part of my property'. Lawyer Alexandra Kenyon replies.

We explain forthcoming changes to the state pension age, so you can find out when you will be allowed to retire

My brother's wife went to the Land Registry and found the deeds were put in my sister's name in 1999. As far I know there was no will. Ian Johnston (pictured), solicitor at JMW Solicitors, replies.

We spent an inheritance and a lot of savings on buying a tiny flat for one son, but might we be forced to sell up if one of us needed care? Lawyer Ben Tyer (pictured) of GLP Solicitors replies.

There are many legal ways to dodge the dreaded 40 per cent 'death tax' if you want to pass on the maximum sum possible and are prepared to plan ahead.

This is Money columnist Steve Webb and lawyer Fiona Wood jointly tackle a reader question about shamming a divorce to dodge tax. Find out the pitfalls here...

Can I ring fence my children's inheritance in my will should they divorce in the future so the in-laws do not gain anything from my estate? Lawyer James Ward of Kingsley Napley (pictured) replies.

My 78-year-old brother died without leaving a will. He had no children and was divorced from his wife. Lawyer Gavin Holt explains the order of inheritance in such cases.

My husband has been missing for 24 years and has a violent past. I cannot find his address but I know the county he is in. The police told me he was still causing women problems and best to avoid him.

In my dad's will, the house is left to me and cash to be split 50/50 with my sister. It was made 10 years ago when my parents were estranged from my sister. My dad is now widowed and has dementia.

My brother died two days after receiving a diagnosis. I had at his request organised a solicitor to visit him in hospital to arrange a will. He passed in June, two days before the appointment.

As our relative was in a care home for the past five years the money she had left is less than the sum in her will. My husband inherits her property, but does he have to make up the cash shortfall? Lawyer Jim Sawer replies

I have four other siblings but I'm the only child who still lives there. I have never lived anywhere else and consider it my home. Lawyer Bonita Walters (pictured right), of Clarke Willmott, replies.

I have been contacted by a genealogy company which says a member of my family from my dad's side passed away in 2016 leaving no will. Lawyer Vicky Tassell, pictured right, of Nockolds, replies.

How much do I need to be saving into my pension to achieve this, assuming I achieve returns of 7% a year and that I live until 85. Financial planner Kay Ingram (pictured left) replies

I had an £84k pension but cashed it in when I was 55 to pay off debts. Since then, I have come into an inheritance so I have £420k in savings and have rejoined my company's pension scheme.

Equity release customers could have been given the wrong advice it has emerged, as the City watchdog confirmed it is looking at mortgage lending practices to older borrowers.

It is feared that equity release could soon echo the PPI mis-selling scandal which has rocked Britain in recent years. Experts last night said the industry was 'ripe for mis-selling'.

Eric Lewis-Leaning discovered last month he was paying £19.95 a year to a company called 'CBA Malwarebytes' via his credit card, despite not owning a computer.

I am 84 years of age, healthy and fit for my age. I have given my son a will drawn up by a solicitor. He inherits all my assets. He wants to have a power of attorney document drawn up. Please advise.

Financial services firm Responsible Life submitted a Freedom of Information request and learned the DWP does not keep track of how many people fail to claim the state pension.

Getting your head around how your pension works, whether you're saving enough and finding out about how your money is invested can be a daunting prospect for young workers.

The newly re-elected Government now has a majority that gives it the opportunity to solve major issues affecting retirement finances. Here's what you need to know.

The average person has 11 jobs in their lifetime, so it is no wonder two in three Britons have more than one pension pot. The industry has long discussed launching an online pensions dashboard

HMRC refused to warn people it had launched investigations into fraudulent pension schemes registered with it, enabling the scammers to continue to fleece hundreds more victims.

Analysis by financial data experts Defaqto shows a couple who borrow £50,000 could save up to £38,000 over 20 years by opting for a retirement interest-only mortgage instead.

This year, the total number of people aged 90 and above is expected to hit 616,000, up 36% since 2010 and vastly outstripping the 7% rise in the overall UK population.

The Treasury is reportedly considering raising a key threshold where the controversial 'taper' kicks in from £110k to £150k, but pension experts think this will be ineffective or 'a sticking plaster'.

Pensions Minister Guy Opperman and shadow pensions minister Jack Dromey have called for for a new independent 'arms-length' government body in a think-tank report.

The provider bucked the trend of falling rates, increasing the interest on its one-year fixed saver from 1.15 per cent. The account is operated by Goldman Sachs International Bank.

We reported last week how Peter Burgess (pictured) had been unable to access his pension pot, while Pat Savage had been waiting for a compensation payment for nearly three months.

Age UK has warned that hundreds of thousands of over 75s could struggle to pay for their TV licences if the BBC scales back on the benefit this summer in an effort to slash costs.

The cost of funerals is soaring - rising more than £200 over the past year to an average of more than £4,400 this month. But a decent send-off can still be arranged for less than half of this price.

Spouses whose partners die intestate are to receive at least the first £270,000 of their estate from 6 February onward.

Which? found 77 per cent of 1,500 people surveyed in the UK held either one account or several with the same provider, leaving them stuck during online and mobile banking hitches.

Former prison officer Paul Davidson, 62, pictured, was forced to retire early in 2012 after he suffered a breakdown. He spent a month in a clinic and his wife had to give up work to care for him.

Insurer Royal London says the hundreds of people who take early retirement every year due to work-related sickness could find themselves in breach of their annual pension saving allowance.