Advice requested

I have been in contact with Tower Tax in the UK for some advice on the topics below. I am toooooo cheap to pay the 400Pounds to get the legal advice.....although maybe it's the smartest thing to do. Any advice that you folks can give me would be very welcome. I am pasting the message I sent to T Tax with my updates in red (although on the preview....nothing is coming up red so who knows....the last comments are the ones I am talking about). I was a little iffy on putting money numbers etc online.....but I really can't see how anybody could get details with our names etc blanked out.
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Basic info-
*Wife is xxxxxxxxx, British citizen. 54 years old. Spent almost all her life in N. Yorkshire.
*I am xxxxxxxxx, USA citizen. 57 years old. I have lived in the UK two different times for about 7 years each (1980-87 + 2004-2011) while working for the US Govt.
*We are both retired and do not plan on working.
* Current financial situation. £ estimates are as of 11 Nov 2014
- House which we are selling in the Spring. $205,000 = £129,000
-Current cash in the US $129,000 = £81,000
-Vanguard mutual funds $249,000 = £156,000. Probably selling approx $80,000 of that after the first of the year. $62,000 of that is a ROTH so is irrelevant for US taxes.
-$505,000 = £317,000 is in my Govt retirement TSP account. Must pay 15% tax on that when I start withdrawing after age 59.5
-Just moved £40,000 into my wife’s UK bank account a couple of months ago.
-I am currently receiving a pension of $1279 = £875 a month. Health insurance is automatically taken out so I actually “get” only $962 = £605 a month.
-Also receiving an annuity supplement for taking early retirement. $850 = £535 month until I turn 62 (2019) when it will stop.
-Social Security estimate of $1334 = £839 a month at age 62 when I will likely take it.
-My wife “should” get a spousal Social Security of approx $480 = £302 a month if she takes it at 62.
-Wife’s estimated pensions. Age 60 (2020) £1190yr personal pension through Standard Life.
              Age 65 (2025) £1988yr work pension/ N Yorkshire county council
              Age 67 (2027) £113week? (£5,876 yr) State pension
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1.Arising Basis? I am assuming that if I move to UK permanently (and rarely leave the country) I would be put under the Arising Basis for tax purposes and not Remittance. If I understand it correctly.....Remittance would be monetarily worse for us. Not entirely sure how the Arising Basis will affect us. Still think the same.

2.From what I have learned from other people in my situation......I should move what mutual funds I will still have left with Vanguard over to ETF’s which supposedly report details to HMRC and could have some tax benefits. We would be mostly selling these funds over the next 7 years or so to compliment my pension. Still not sure of what the details are of advantages.

3.I am reasonably clued in on what the requirements are for me to move back to the UK permanently. There are other parts to this, I have already filled out most of the paperwork just getting ready. If there is something you are aware of, please let me know.
*Minimum of £62,500 in cash in the bank for 6 months before applying for a VISA, and for the next 2 VISA  (3 total) after that over 5 years....and the fee’s associated with each (about £850 each). I understand I can use my pension/annuity to reduce that amount to around £33,000, but we will need the money upon moving anyway and this way the paperwork is a little simpler since I don’t have to verify income as well. 
*Already lined up my wife’s parents as a place to live until we find a rental (and eventually buy). Written permission plus land registry needed from the parents. Still the situation, but I really need to start reading the formal VISA application paperwork.

4.Thrift Savings Plan (TSP Govt retirement account). Is this counted only in the US? From what I have heard the UK is supposed to ignore this and taxed only in the US. Yes? Or do I have it wrong? From what I have seen online from other people, there isn’t much of a “definite” answer and kind of leaves HMRC able to interpret things on an individual basis. Unless reality is different than I think, often the case......

5.Better to file my taxes for the US as single or joint? I would tend to think staying joint might be better if I continue to sell off funds. Wife has US green card only and is not planning on renewing it. Might even hand it in if there is a tax advantage....such as if it is better for me to file single. No idea on this one.

6.If she keeps the green card, does that require her to keep filing US taxes?  I would assume yes.

7.How will the UK treat my US Pension/annuity and eventually Social Security? And....details on how I will need to file this info with HMRC, and the tax implications?
- double taxed in the UK.....but able to write this off on the US taxes? About sums up what I think I know.

8.FBAR. We currently have over $10,000 in a UK account.....and will likely continue to. Pretty sure that is simple enough....unless I file taxes as a single and can put money into wife’s name only. Unless I am wrong on that one as well. Need to file on any foreign account $10K or more.

9.FATCA? Not an issue for us since it is somewhat like FBAR? I don’t think this gets us.

10.Any advantages to the Vanguard mutual funds/ETF’s in my wife’s name only since she will be WAY under the £10,000 personal allowance? Someone I have been in contact with who has a lot more money than me has done this, dual citizenship I believe. Wife will have no money coming in until 2020...won’t come close to 10KPounds until 2027. Although I would think our Vanguard funds will be used up by then.

11. Is it better to leave my Vanguard funds in Dollars? Or move to a Pound equivalent? No idea.

12. Foreign household expenses on US taxes. Can I claim this, or is it only if I am working? I would tend to think while I was working and not now that I am retired.

13. Anything else/recommendations that you can point out.......Compared to a lot of people in our situation I would tend to think that our situation wouldn’t be too complicated. We are not working. Income/pension is not very high. Total monetary totals with interest etc keeps our income fairly low. Any suggestions are more than welcome.

Ok....I have been humbled......this moving bit is really a pain in the ass.

I think that no one has replied to your post because it is not really in the correct forum.  Maybe ask the Moderators to move to the U.S. UK Tax Forum and someone will reply.  I wish I could help but am still in the US without the relevant experience.  I do know that my SIL and her husband have lived in the UK All their lives and have split their finances to minimize taxes in that she has no pension but her husband has a good civil servant pension so all their savings are in her name so no tax is paid on the interest and dividends as they file separately.

I also think that if you keep your mutual funds then all dividends and cap gain distributions will be treated as regular income so you won't get the very advantageous tax treatment that an HMRC reporting fund would get.

Thanks Alan....that's the kind of thing I was hoping for. I might still ask the tax lady 5-6 of the questions....only 200Pounds for that. Most of the questions I "think" I know the answers to. About 6 of them are ones I would really like a legal answer to. After the first of the year there won't be a whole lot of money in our Vanguard funds since I plan on selling a bunch more after the first of the year (go dollar!!). Then by the time I start really digging into my TSP money the Vanguard money should be gone. Sounds like putting the Vanguard stuff into my wife's name....and moving it to some kind of an ETF would be wise.

I am toooooo cheap to pay the 400Pounds to get the legal advice.....although maybe it's the smartest thing to do.

I think it's the smart thing to do.