Tell us about yourself
We’ll need to know a bit about you. Register yourself as a homeowner to see secured loans in the results.
Pensions calculator
Forecast the value of your future pension pot with MoneyFarm
How do I use the pensions calculator?
The pension calculator is easy to use. Just add in your information and you’ll see an instant private pension forecast.
-
-
Your existing pensions
Provide an estimate of your current pensions savings if you know how much you have in the pot.
-
Monthly savings
Let us know roughly how much you’re putting into your pensions savings on a regular basis.
-
View pension forecast
See your estimated pension value, income and tax-free lump sum – with or without State pension.
What are the benefits of the pensions calculator?
-
It’s quick and easy
Just tell us a few details and we’ll project the size of your pension pot when you retire. Better still, we’ll give you an idea of the annual income you can expect too.
-
Planning for retirement made simple
We’ll help you to see if you’re on track for a comfortable retirement. Or if you need to raise your contributions to ensure you can afford the lifestyle you'd like to lead when you give up work.
-
See what you can take tax-free
Planning to pay off your mortgage? Or perhaps take that cruise you’ve been promising yourself? We’ll show what sort of sum you’ll be able to take without paying tax.
-
Use our calculations to get a personalised plan
Once you've got a better idea of your projected pension at retirement, you can lean on our partner MoneyFarm who can create a tailor-made plan to get your pension where it needs to be.
How is my pension forecast calculated?
The Pension Calculator is powered by our partner MoneyFarm. It can be used for illustrative purposes and can give you an estimate of what you might be able to expect in retirement.
To do the pension forecast for you the calculator must make a number of assumptions, including:
An assumed rate of inflation and investment return
Assumed pension fund charges
That your contributions will rise in line with inflation
State pension age of 67
The calculator doesn’t take into account tax charges which may apply when you withdraw your pension at retirement – or on any contributions that exceed your allowances.
Trusted Service Awards Winners
MoneySuperMarket has won the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.
How much money do I need to retire?
How much pension you’ll need to be able to retire comfortably will depend on your own personal and financial circumstances. It also depends on how long you intend to keep working and what sort of lifestyle you want to have in later life.
Some people use the ballpark figure of saving around 10 times your salary by retirement age. But this is merely a guide and what you actually need to save for retirement will be personal to you.
We have a range of helpful guides which cover how pension saving works.
Unlock a more secure future with our partner MoneyFarm
Here’s how to get a personalised pension plan with MoneyFarm:
Learn more about pensions
What happens to my pension if my income increases?
If your income has increased you could put more into your pension. If this is a private pension this will mean more tax relief and your pension pot could grow more quickly. If you have a workplace pension and your salary has gone up, it’s likely your own monthly pension contributions – and your employer’s contribution – will automatically increase, as the amounts are calculated based on a percentage of your salary.
Does my employer contribute to my pension?
All employers in the UK must contribute into a pension scheme for their staff. All eligible staff (there are some exceptions based on employee age and annual pay levels) are auto-enrolled into the company scheme. The idea is that the employee and employer both contribute and tax relief is added to boost the savings pot.
What is the current retirement age?
You can’t usually access a personal pension until age 55. Work and company schemes may have a retirement age, which is also likely to be over 55. The current State pension age is 66 for men and women. This is due to rise to 67 and then to 68 from 2037.
Can I get a state pension and a private pension?
Yes, you can have both a private pension and still get the State pension. Your National Insurance contributions record is what counts toward the State pension. So if you’re paying NI then you could be entitled to some or the full State pension. You can find out more about the State pension and get a personal forecast from the Government.
Am I able to access my pension before my retirement age?
Pension rules mean you can’t usually take money from a private pension before you reach 55. This is due to rise to 57 from 2028.
However, the main exception is if you’re forced into early retirement due to ill health which means you’re unlikely to be able to return to work.
In these circumstances, some pension providers will allow you to being taking an income or lump sums earlier than 55. But you’ll need to check the terms of your pension plan to be sure.
Is it possible for the value of my pension to go down?
Yes, it’s possible. Company pensions are invested in pension funds, which in turn invest in the stock market.
If stock-market uncertainty causes your pension fund to drop, the value of your pension will drop too.
However, given time, pension pots are typically expected to recover losses. Which is in keeping with the usual ups and downs that are part and parcel of investing in the stock market.
How much should I save each month into my pension?
That depends largely on the lifestyle you want to lead and how much you’ve managed to save in your pension at this point in your life.
However, most financial advisers recommend the best way to ensure you’re contributing enough is to conduct a simple calculation.
Simply divide your age by two. Then use that figure, expressed as a percentage, and ensure you’re putting in at least much of your salary to your pension.
So suppose you’re 40 years of age. In that instance, you should be contributing 20% of your salary to your pension every month.
How many contributing years do I need for a full state pension?
If you started making contributions after 2016, you’ll typically need to have made 35 full years of national insurance contributions to qualify for the full state pension.
However, if you started before 2016 the rules are different. In this instance, the number of full years you need is calculated by factoring in your age and contributions up to this point. That means you may need as many as 40 qualifying years.
You can check how many you’ve accumulated so far by heading to Gov.co.uk.
Can I plug gaps in national insurance contributions?
You can. But there are rules you’ll need to be aware of. At the time of writing (March 2023), the government will allow you to plug gaps in your national insurance record dating back to 2006. But you’ll only be able to do so if you act before 31st July 2023.
Thereafter, you’ll be only be able to plug gaps dating back six years.
Super save with MoneySuperMarket
You work hard to earn your money, and we don’t think you should waste a penny of it paying over the odds on your household bills. That’s why at MoneySuperMarket, we’re on a mission to save Britain money.
Whip your credit score into shape with Credit Score
Super save over and over again with Energy Monitor
There are always more ways to save with MoneySuperMarket
So how do we make our money? In a nutshell, when you use us to buy something, we get a reward from the company you’re buying from.
You might be wondering if we work with all the companies in the market, or if our commercial relationships with our partners might make us feature one company above another. We’ve got nothing to hide, and we want to give you clear answers when it comes to questions like these, so we’ve pulled together everything you need to know on this page.
Reviewed on 17 Dec 2025 by
