STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

I WISH to invest in funds for my grandchildren. Is there a minimum we have to invest?

R. P., by email.

The minimum amount you can invest in a fund will vary depending on which fund supermarket you use.

Generally, if you are investing a oneoff lump sum the minimum is £500 or £1,000.

alternatively, you can set up a monthly plan where you invest a set amount each month, which usually starts at £50.

I WENT to my local post office to buy Premium Bonds for myself and my son, who is 41. We had each filled in the application, and

I was ready to pay for both on my card, but was told I couldn’t buy one on his behalf. He had provided all the right documentation, is this correct?

C. F., St Ives.

YOU can buy Premium Bonds for someone else, but only for children, grandchildren or greatgrandchildren under 16. They are held in the buyer’s name until the child’s 16th birthday. so, your son is 41; he needs to buy his own.

WE HAVE money in the Witan Jump Investment trust for our grandchildren. Could we be getting a better return elsewhere?

R.N., by email

THIS investment trust has returned 82.9 pc over the past three years, according to its latest factsheet.

That means it would have turned £ 1,000 into £ 1,829 in that time.

Meanwhile, the average Global fund has returned 59 pc.

Be sure to factor fees into your decision, though — Witan charges around £38 a year. If you have £1,000 invested, that’s equivalent to 3.8 pc, which is incredibly high. If you have £10,000 invested, however, it equates to just 0.38 pc.

MY WIFE and I want to make a power of attorney. But when I rang the helpline they said they only cover England and Wales. Is there a number for a Northern Ireland service?

M.M., by email

YOU need to contact the Courts and Tribunals service on 028 9072 4732. Or you can write to The Office of Care and Protection, room 1.24, First Floor, royal Courts of Justice, Chichester street, Belfast BT1 3JF.