dr orloff

That's OK.  I don't think anyone moves to France for the customer service.

If you live in France your compay pension is taxable in France and has been from the moment you moved.  You can't choose.  You must declare it in France.  My advice - go see your tax office and sort it out.      

Useful GP, but that is normally only part of the picture.  Many UK residents moving to France want to know how to deal with UK derived income stream - that is governed by the UK France tax convention which overrides French law and those items are unlikely to be dealt with in such type of french publications. A book written in English is much more likely to.

[quote user="ErnieY"][:D][quote user="avinalarf"]If you have the space then I think the best buy at the moment is oil.[/quote]This made me chuckle, what exactly are you suggesting [8-)] It's not that I think it's a bad idea, quite the contrary and in fact it's something I'm thinking of doing it myself. No, it's just the thought of somebody's back garden stacked high with 45gallon barrels of crude oil waiting for the price to go back up then carting them off God knows where to crystalise their profit [:)] Perhaps though you mean stocking up your central heating supplies. If so, and notwithstanding very real constraints on the quantity you can legally store on domestic premises, the investment you would incur in installing adequate bunded storage would quickly outweigh any potential bulk buy savings. Regarding shares, despite the current dire state of the markets bought intelligently they are still likely to be the thing which produces the best return in the long run, if you can tie your money up for say 10 years. UK bricks and mortar are a long term sure fire bet too, again if bought intelligently and without the need for finance. [/quote] That's what I meant.  Come to think of it,  given the talk about the need for more nuclear power stations then some uranium ore would be a good investment too.  Most of it is uranium 238 with a half-life of 4.5 billion years - can't think of a longer term investment than that.  And it decays to lead so you can do your roof with any surplus.  

The process can look daunting but with a smidgeon of good advice it is actually very straightforward for most people. You could try describing your situation in a bit more detail and asking about the implications.  You don't have to say what you earn, just the different types of income you have.

I wouldn't have any concerns about noxious gases - if you buy the correctly refined fuel then it is a chemical impossibility. The fuel though is currently very expensive.  Per Kw of heat generated I think it works out at four of five times the cost of electric heating.  

I think the race factor will be more than overcome by the fact that Obama has attracted a turnout of ethnic minorities and young voters in unprecendented numbers. I have to admire McCain - he's done remarkably well fighting on a Republican ticket after one of the worst Republican presidents in history.  But his chips are too greasy and he will lose.

The two most important factors affecting annuity rates are interest rates and life expectancy.  In general, you would expect annuity rates to rise with interest rates.  However, increased life expectancy is a downward pressure on interest rates.  This is why annuity rates have been at a standstill despite the rate rises over the last couple of years.  I wouldn't worry about trying to predict future macroeconomic conditions, since no crystal balls exist and base your decision entirely upon your personal circumstances.    

I would recommend very hardy stuff at this stage - trees and hardy shrubs. Cold winters can kill a lot of new plants.  Perennials are best bought here in spring - very good value in little pots - 'godets'.  

I've had letters from the Inland Revenue that come via Sweden!

If you have broadband you should be able to watch matches on your computer.  Just google to find it.

I am assuming from the fact that you paid capital gains tax in France on a French property that you have remained UK resident for tax purposes.  UK capital gains will be chargeable, but the amount of tax paid in France will be deducted from your UK liability.  So there may be a residual, or you may have nothing further to pay.      

I recently bought a 32 inch Sony TV from eBay in the UK - five years old.  It originally cost over a grand, I picked it up for £54.  Personally, I think the picture on a good cathode ray set beats a cheap LCD any day.   Because people are upgrading to HD, there are heaps of tellies available, so if you can source one from the UK you will find a bargain.       

His best performances for me were The Hustler and Hud.  Probably the most down to earth superstar ever.

Looks like yucca filamentosa.

Try this - citizens advice bureau type orgamisation. http://www.clcv.org/

Oh dear.  I feel sorry for you.  Please see this consumer site.  It sounds like the company could be in liquidation shortly.  Please contact your bank immediately, although I have heard in situations like this that they are unhelpful, and the cooling off period may now have passed: http://forum.lesarnaques.com/special-showroom2001/.    

Quite genuine.  It gets too warm for them in the Ivory Coast.  And they like to be on the same continent as Didier Drogba for a couple of months.  DO NOT reply to them.

Yes it rains a lot, keeps it nice and green.  Good for your veggies too.  Plenty of sunshine though.  This year, when the weather has been bad here then it's generally been bad elsewhere in the affordable parts of France.   

I'm repeating what my doctor said.  You may well know better than him but I think he is an excellent doctor so I trust what he says. 

Cathy, I have a family history too.  I'm 44, so under the age of the general screening.  I talked to the doctor and he booked me in at the hospital straight away - I didn't request a test. So I would certainly go along to your doctor, explain your family history and your previous tests and results.  Your doctor will take it from there. Good luck.    

Clair, I can understand french perfectly thank you.  That is what the doctor told me this morning and promptly made me an appointment at the hospital.  Believe me or not.

I suppose not, but that's what a doctor told me. If you refused testing then I don't think the health service or your insurer would be very happy if you developed the condition later on.    

I understand that if there is a family history then it is obligatory to have tests.

Have a drink.