Pension growth calculator
Use this calculator to estimate how your pension pot could grow by retirement. It combines your current pension value, monthly contributions, an employer contribution rate, projected investment growth, optional yearly contribution increases, and an inflation adjustment to show both headline and real-terms results.
- The projected annual return stays constant throughout.
- Contributions are added monthly and increase once each year.
- Employer contributions are modelled as a percentage of your own monthly contribution.
- Inflation, tax relief, fees, and investment volatility are simplified.
Your details
Enter your age, pension pot, monthly contributions, and your long-term growth assumptions.
Results
Pension timeline
| Checkpoint | Total added | Growth | Pot value |
|---|
- Starts with your current pension pot value.
- Adds your monthly contribution and any modelled employer contribution.
- Applies annual growth monthly across the projection period.
- Optionally shows the estimated result in today’s money.
How to use this pension growth calculator
A pension growth calculator helps you estimate how much your current pension pot and ongoing contributions could be worth by retirement. It does not predict market returns precisely, but it can show how long-term compounding, regular saving, and employer support may affect the final result.
This planner is most useful for comparing scenarios. You can test whether increasing contributions, delaying retirement, or adjusting your return assumption has the biggest impact on your projected pension value.
Assumptions
- Investment returns are shown as a constant annual rate for simplicity.
- Your monthly contribution is increased once each year by salary growth and any extra contribution increase you enter.
- Employer contributions are based on a percentage of your monthly contribution, not salary.
- Tax relief, fund charges, inflation changes, and future contribution limits are not fully modelled.
Worked example
Suppose you are 35, plan to retire at 67, already have £25,000 in your pension, and contribute £300 a month. If your employer adds 5% of your contribution, your investments grow by 5% a year, and your contributions rise modestly over time, the final pot value can be materially higher than the total amount paid in.
Running different scenarios can help you judge whether your current pension saving rate is on track or whether increasing contributions now could have a meaningful long-term effect.
FAQs
Common questions about pension growth projections
How accurate is a pension growth calculator?
It is a planning tool rather than a forecast. Real investment returns, pension charges, salary changes, and contribution choices can all change the final result.
Why does employer contribution use a percentage of my own contribution here?
This version models employer funding as a percentage of your monthly contribution because salary is not entered as a separate cash amount.
What annual return should I use?
Use a long-term estimate that matches your pension investment strategy. Lower assumptions are usually more cautious and can be useful for planning.
Should I enter inflation?
Inflation can help you compare the projected pension pot in today’s money. This often gives a more realistic view of future spending power.
Does delaying retirement make a big difference?
It often does because you may contribute for longer and give the pension pot more time to compound before withdrawals begin.
Are tax relief and pension charges included?
No. This calculator simplifies the projection. Actual pension outcomes can be affected by fees, tax relief, contribution caps, and fund choice.
Can I use this for a workplace pension and a personal pension?
Yes, as long as you enter the current pot and the monthly contribution amounts you want to model. Treat the output as an estimate for that pot.