STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

I RECEIVE pension payouts of £11.58 a year from a pension pot worth £689.74. I heard that the rules changed last year to allow me to take my pot in cash. Can I do so?

W. S., Bristol. THE new rules only allow you to cash in pots that have not yet been used to buy an income for life, called an annuity.

You have already bought an annuity, so can’t take advantage of the freedoms.

However, your pension company should probably have allowed you to take your pot in cash to begin with.

even before the new rules were introduced, savers with very small pensions, worth less than £2,000, were allowed to cash them in. I READ in Money Mail that from next year I can earn £ 1,000 of interest on my savings without paying tax on it. Does this count if you have your money spread across different accounts or does the money all have to be in one place?

P.M., Ilford THE new Personal Savings Allowance comes into effect in April 2016. Basic-rate taxpayers can earn £1,000 interest tax-free and higher rate payers get £500. The revenue says it makes no difference whether your savings are in one account or several. I WAS told by Optical Express that if I recommended a friend I would get £ 100. I recommended someone in December, but still haven’t got my money. Can you help?

J.L., Orpington OPTICAL express told us there has been an oversight in the administration team and apologises. A posted cheque is on its way to you. I WANT to send £300 as a birthday gift to my daughter who lives in the U.S. How can I do this safely?

G.F., Kent

HSBC offers a free online transfer service if you each open a current account with it. Its customer service number is 03456 040 626. Citibank offers a similar service. Its number is 0207 500 1992.

Alternatively, online money transfer firm Transferwise offers a free service. Call 0203 6950 999 or visit www.transferwise.com. Always check the conversion rate before you move money.