UK Pension Calculator — Project Your Retirement Pot
See how your pension pot could grow between now and retirement. Add your current savings, what you and your employer pay in each month, an assumed growth rate and your fees. The calculator shows the projected pot, what it is worth in today’s money, the tax-free cash you could take and a growth chart.
How to use the Pension Calculator
- Enter your age, the age you plan to retire and your current pension pot.
- Add your monthly contribution and your employer’s monthly contribution.
- Adjust the assumptions for investment growth, annual fees and inflation.
- Read your projected pot, the chart and an illustration of the income it could provide.
How the projection works
The calculator adds your contributions at the end of every month and applies investment growth, after deducting your annual fees, month by month. Because growth is earned on earlier growth, starting early matters: money paid in during your 30s has decades to compound.
Pensions are shown both in future pounds and in today’s money. Inflation reduces what a future pound can buy, so the “today’s money” figure gives a more realistic sense of what your pot could support.
Choosing sensible assumptions
Investment returns are not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise. A cautious approach is to test a lower growth rate as well as a higher one, and to include realistic charges. Even a small yearly fee can reduce a pot by tens of thousands of pounds over a working life.
You can usually take up to 25% of your pension as tax-free cash, up to a limit of £268,275. The rest is taxed as income when you draw it. The minimum age you can access a private pension is currently 55, rising to 57 from April 2028.
Assumptions & important information
- Growth, fees and inflation are assumptions you can change. They are not guarantees, and the default figures are examples rather than forecasts.
- Contributions are paid at the end of each month and are optionally increased once a year by the percentage you choose.
- The calculator does not model tax on withdrawals, the State Pension, annuity rates or changes to pension rules.
- Tax-free cash is shown as 25% of the pot up to the £268,275 lump sum allowance. The income figure applies your chosen withdrawal rate and is for illustration only. Rates and thresholds shown are for the 2026/27 tax year and were last checked against GOV.UK on 2 November 2026.
- This calculator gives estimates for information only. It is not financial, tax or legal advice — check important decisions with HMRC, your employer or a regulated adviser.
Ideas & examples
- Starting at 30: A 30-year-old with £10,000 saved, paying in £250 a month with £125 from their employer, could build roughly £442,164 by 67 (about £212,509 in today’s money), assuming 5% growth and 0.75% fees.
- Starting later, at 45: With £60,000 already saved and £750 a month going in, the pot could reach about £473,365 by 67, showing how larger contributions can offset a later start.
- Paying in a little more: Raising your own contribution from £250 to £300 a month in the first example lifts the projected pot to £494,900 — £52,736 more.
Frequently asked questions
How much will my pension be worth?
The calculator projects a pot based on your contributions, growth rate and fees. Results are estimates, not forecasts — real investment returns vary and are not guaranteed.
What growth rate should I use?
There is no right answer. Many people test a few rates, such as 3%, 5% and 7%, to see a range. Remember that lower-risk investments usually grow more slowly than shares.
Does the calculator include the State Pension?
No. It covers your private or workplace pension only. You can check your State Pension forecast on GOV.UK and add it to your retirement planning.
What does “today’s money” mean?
It adjusts the future pot for inflation so you can compare it with the cost of living now. A pot of £500,000 in 30 years buys much less than £500,000 does today.
Should my contribution include tax relief?
Yes. Enter the full amount that reaches the pension from your side, including the tax relief added by the government or taken before tax.
More free tools you might need
- Pension Tax Relief Calculator — Compare relief at source, net pay and salary sacrifice for UK and Scottish taxpayers.
- UK Take-Home Pay Calculator — See your take-home pay after income tax, NI, pension and student loan — including Scotland.
- Salary Increase Calculator — See how much of a pay rise you actually keep after tax and National Insurance.
- UK Income Tax Calculator — Calculate income tax by band for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.