STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

MY WIFE has a pension. The small print says it contains a guaranteed annuity. What does this mean? L. L., Merseyside Guaranteed annuity rates were offered by insurance firms in the Seventies, eighties and nineties. They promise to give you a set income at retirement and are often a good deal because the payouts are far higher than anything you can get today.

however, they are often restrictive. For instance, commonly you cannot leave an income for your spouse on your death.

also, once you have taken an annuity, you cannot cash in the rest of your pot or take a lump sum whenever you like. I HAVE an interest-only mortgage but have no way of paying back the capital and am retired. Will I have to leave my home? I. M, Kendal, Cumbria. Banks have launched loans in recent months that allow you to continue making payments on your interest-only deal indefinitely — allowing you to stay in your home. The capital is paid back when you sell the house, pass away, or go into a care home.

Lenders offering the deals include Bath, Vernon, Tipton & Coseley, and hodge Lifetime. nationwide Building Society says it plans to follow suit in the coming months. I KEEP getting messages on my answering machine from 020 379 4709 saying my identity may have been compromised in foreign countries. The speaker, a lady with an American accent, instructs me to dial 1 to be connected to an operator for more information. Is this a scam? R. S., email This is a number being used by fraudsters to extort victims. Get Safe Online, the Government-backed cybersecurity initiative, has confirmed this is a scam. Ignore the message and block the caller if you have that function on your phone. I HAVE received seven boxes of goods from Amazon which I didn’t order. I’ve been charged £169.93. Amazon has promised me return labels and my money back but it hasn’t materialised. Can you help? A. B., via email amazon apologises and says it has issued you a refund.