We'd love to hear more of your questions about money and the economy. You can send through written questions, like these ones, but even better, you can drop us a voice memo to our email questions@rnz.co.nz.You can also sign up to RNZ's new money newsletter, [https://rnz.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=211a938dcf3e634ba2427dde9&id=b4c9a30ed6) 'Money with Susan Edmunds'].My father is in his 90s and has a handwritten will witnessed by two people, now deceased. He believes this is a legal document and that I will have no issue getting it accepted when he dies.Attempts at conversations with him about the will end up in stalemate, with him stating it will be sufficient for me to sort everything out. I'm not so sure and am seeking your advice if such a will holds the legal weight he believes it does?I am one of six siblings from a fractured family. We are all from the same parents and there is some estrangement.I am the only sibling taking care of my father. I see him every week and take care of various tasks, such as his washing and providing social interaction for him.It is a significant commitment, as I work fulltime, but nevertheless something I would rather do, than not. I am concerned that the work required from me when he dies is going to be more complicated and expensive than it need be.He has left everything to me and designated me as his executor. "Everything" is almost no material possessions, enough to fit in two or three suitcases, and $40,000.He lives in a rented flat.Public Trust principal trustee Michelle Pope said a handwritten will could be valid, if it met legal requirements."Generally, a valid will must be in writing, signed by the willmaker and witnessed by two people present when the will was signed. Without seeing your father's will, it's difficult to comment on its validity."The fact that both witnesses have since passed away will not alone invalidate the will. If the document was properly executed at the time it was signed, the death of the witnesses many years later would not normally affect its validity."However, if its validity were later challenged, it may be harder to obtain evidence about the signing process."She said one practical factor in your situation is the size of your father's estate. Under current New Zealand estate administration rules, assets of $40,000 or less can be collected and distributed without the executor having to obtain a High Court grant of probate, provided there are no complications.Probate is the legal process that confirms a will is valid and gives the executor authority to administer the estate."If your father's estate remains modest, you may be able to distribute the assets without significant legal expense. As executor, your role would be to manage the estate according to the will, including paying any debts and distributing assets."Where an estate is relatively simple, this can often be a straightforward process. However, many people find estate administration challenging after the death of a loved one, and professional support is available through organisations such as Public Trust and law firms, if you need any help."It is also important to remember that family members can sometimes challenge a will. This could complicate the estate administration process."Pope said the best way to reduce potential uncertainty would be for your father to have his will reviewed or updated by a professional, provided he had the mental capacity to do so."However, if that is not practical, the existence of a handwritten will does not necessarily mean the estate administration process will be complicated."I was recently in the North Island and looking for a bed for the night. The motel I tried to book into didn't accept cash.This was okay, because I had my credit card with me. When I realised the charges for it was 3 percent, I decided to pay by debit card.This also incurred an additional fee of 3 percent. Can they do this, especially as they wouldn't accept my cash?I decided to go elsewhere for the night!Businesses are only meant to charge surcharges that reflect their costs. I spoke to the Commerce Commission about this and was told that it can be a bit of a tricky area, because it's hard for consumers to know exactly what those costs are.In theory, the debit card should carry a lower cost to the business than a credit card would.The commission has said in the past that anything over 2 percent is likely to be too high. Consumer NZ has argued for more like 1 percent, but accommodation providers deal with more international cards than many other businesses, so they may have higher fees.Businesses are meant to offer at least one payment method that does not incur a surcharge, such as an Eftpos transaction, where you insert or swipe your card, or cash.New rules have been introduced that limit the interchange fees businesses have to pay, and it is hoped that those reductions will be passed on to people using their cards in the form of lower or fewer surcharges.You can raise concerns about excessive surcharges with the Commerce Commission.A Consumer NZ spokesperson thinks 3 percent is excessive for a New Zealand debit card."Although accepting a debit card usually costs merchants less than it does to accept a credit card, merchants often charge a flat rate for card payments. However, they should not charge a card payment surcharge when a debit card is inserted."Why are you not a fan of funeral insurance?We talked about funeral insurance on the podcast a couple of weeks ago and I said that I wasn't a fan. That's mainly because I bear a grudge on behalf of a few people I have dealt with over the years, who have ended up paying a lot more for funeral insurance than they were ever able to claim.Some had already paid much more in premiums than their policy was worth, but they could not stop, because then all the money they had spent so far would have gone to waste.They would have been better to put the money into a savings account and let it build up that way or sign up to one of the prepaid funeral options that some funeral directors offer.As with many types of insurance, the greatest benefit is if you can make a claim fairly promptly after taking out the cover, but I think people think of funeral cover often as a sort of savings alternative, when it really isn't.I note, though, that some providers have changed their rules, so there is an age at which you can stop paying premiums and retain the cover.This isn't personalised financial advice, just my own thoughts, and I would recommend talking to an adviser, if you're wondering what insurance would be appropriate for you.Sign up for Money with Susan Edmunds, a weekly newsletter covering all the things that affect how we make and spend money.