Pension Power Calculator

Enter your current pension pot, yearly contribution, and years to retirement. These are your household-specific figures and they drive most of the result.

If you are unsure, use your latest pension statement and payroll pension deductions. You can then re-run with updated numbers whenever your salary or contributions change.

The tool uses official UK inflation context and combines it with your chosen assumptions for future growth. Use the quick preset buttons (Cautious, Balanced, Adventurous) if you're unsure which growth rate to choose.

Results include both nominal pot values and inflation-adjusted values in today's money so you can understand real spending power in retirement.

After entering your inputs, scan the six result cards. The most important figure is the Estimated Real Monthly Income — this is what your pension could provide each month in today's money.

If the monthly income looks too low, try increasing your annual contribution or extending your retirement timeline, then watch how the cards update instantly.

Switch to the Scenario Analysis tab to compare two pension strategies side by side. The sensitivity table also shows the impact of three automatic what-if scenarios: increasing contributions by 20%, adding 1% growth, and retiring 5 years earlier.

If your projected retirement income still looks low, test a higher contribution and longer retirement horizon, then compare the uplift in today's money.

A projection is most useful when it behaves sensibly under different assumptions. If a small change in growth or inflation creates a very large swing in outcomes, treat the result as directional guidance rather than a precise forecast.

Good practice is to compare three scenarios: cautious, balanced, and optimistic. If all three suggest your current contribution is likely too low, that is a strong decision signal. If outcomes vary widely, consider a gradual contribution increase and review again next quarter.

Use this tool for planning conversations, then confirm regulated advice separately if you are making major pension decisions.

The calculator uses a 4% safe withdrawal rate (SWR) as a planning rule of thumb to estimate retirement income. This means withdrawing 4% of your pot each year, which historically has sustained a portfolio for 30+ years in most market conditions.

The 4% rule is a starting point, not a guarantee. If you plan a longer retirement, or markets underperform, a lower withdrawal rate (e.g. 3-3.5%) may be more appropriate. Conversely, if you have other income sources like State Pension, you may be able to withdraw more.

Many UK workers have multiple pension pots from different employers. To get a complete picture, add up your total annual contributions across all pots and enter the combined figure. For the current pot, use the sum of all your latest pension statement values.

If your pots have different investment strategies (e.g. one cautious, one aggressive), you might want to run separate projections for each and compare. The scenario comparison tab makes this easy.