What should I do with the title deeds to our house?

Q&A:As the bank won’t take our title deeds back after withdrawal and my solicitor doesn’t provide storage, would you have any suggestions as to the best option for safe storage?

Mr A O’C, Email

It seems to me that you are very unlucky. Not only do you have an unhelpful solicitor, but also a lender with a particularly rigid view of its function.

Most people on settlement of their mortgage will lodge the deeds either with their solicitor or in a bank safe deposit box facility.

In my experience, one or the other has always provided this function. If not, it appears you will be relying on providing your own safe storage in your home. It’s not ideal, and I would suggest you pressure either your solicitor or your bank to provide an alternative. If you have an account with more than one bank, check the facilities available with each – you clearly don’t have to lodge the deeds with your mortgage lender once they have been vacated – ie settled.

Banking is a service, one for which we are likely to pay an increasing amount in the coming years. If your lender will not accommodate you, consider the alternatives; customers do still have some power.

No reason to pay PRSI for benefits you don’t need

I am 40 years old and have worked for the Health Service Executive full-time since June 1994 to date, with no break in service, and I pay PRSI Class A.

It has come to my attention while researching pension entitlements that I should be paying Class D PRSI.

I have been told that I have been paying Class A for so long I may have a choice between which Class of PRSI I can pay. I am unsure which to choose. I am particularly interested in the advantages/disadvantages in terms of retirement, and wonder if you could give me any advice re same.

Ms TC, Dublin

The rate of Pay Related Social Insurance you pay is critically important in determining the benefits to which you are entitled.

However, it is not a case of picking and choosing which one suits best. I am surprised that you have been sitting on the “wrong” rate for close to 20 years before anyone noticed.

There was a change in the public service in relation to PRSI, but this took place only in 1995. You say you were employed from June 1994, but is it possible that you were not in permanent employment initially.

If that were the case, and if you were made permanent in 1995, it might account for the confusion.

Essentially, most employed people pay social insurance at Rate A. Critically from your point of view, it includes all civil and public servants recruited from April 6th, 1995.

If you were employed in the public or civil service before that date, you come under one of Classes B, C D. The first relates to permanent pensionable civil servants, including registered doctors and dentists employed in the civil service, and gardaí.