How much do I need to retire?

Start from the retirement you want, and see the monthly investing that actually gets you there. Start from the life you want, rather than a pot size someone else picked for you.

Updated for the 2026/27 tax year · reviewed August 2026

The retirement you want

Start here

Seven numbers get you an answer. Everything further down is already set to a sensible default - change it and the answer re-solves instantly.

Age today

Income starts at age

Income you want each year

Plan to age

Pension pot today

ISAs and investments today

Cash savings today

To retire at 60 on £30,000 a year, invest

£2,168 a month

into your pension, every month for the next 25 years, drawing down with “Pension first”. That's the minimum - the plan ends near zero at 92.

Pot at retirement

£1,337,209

at age 60 - in future pounds

Years of saving

age 35 to 60

Total paid in

£650,400

your contributions over the saving years

Lifetime tax

£1,021,480

income tax across retirement, in future pounds

You asked for £30,000 a year in today's money. The pot, the monthly saving and the lifetime tax above are in future pounds - the cash amounts of the years they actually fall in, growing with your 2.5% inflation assumption while tax thresholds stay where they are today. Set inflation to 0 to read every figure in today's money instead.

The same retirement, three withdrawal strategies

Each strategy needs a different monthly saving, because the order you empty your pots changes the tax you pay on the way out. The cheapest one is the answer above.

Invest monthly
£2,189
Pot at retirement
£1,348,945
Lifetime tax
£1,129,591
Invest monthly
£2,219
Pot at retirement
£1,365,710
Lifetime tax
£1,159,296
Invest monthly
£2,168
Pot at retirement
£1,337,209
Lifetime tax
£1,021,480

Monthly saving required, pot at retirement and lifetime tax, for three withdrawal strategies
Strategy	Invest monthly	Pot at retirement	Lifetime tax
	£2,189	£1,348,945	£1,129,591
	£2,219	£1,365,710	£1,159,296
cheapest	£2,168	£1,337,209	£1,021,480

Select a strategy to see it in the charts and table below. You're currently looking at Pension first - the cheapest, followed automatically as you move the sliders.

“Fill the basic-rate band” takes pension income each year up to the point the next pound would be taxed at 40%, then switches to the ISA - it usually needs the least saving because it wastes the least of your personal allowance.

The levers behind the answer

Filled in with sensible assumptions. Adjust anything that doesn't match your situation - the monthly figure above re-solves as you go.

Growth and inflation

The assumptions doing the compounding.

Pension growth a year

Pension charges a year

ISA growth a year

Inflation

Already saving into ISAs monthly

Cash interest a year

Guaranteed income

The State Pension and any final-salary pension - they arrive on their own schedule and shrink the saving you need.

State Pension a year

State Pension starts at

Final-salary pension a year

It starts at

Does the final-salary pension rise with inflation?

Based on your age today, your State Pension age is likely to be 68. Check yours on GOV.UK.

Tax-free cash and where you live

Tax-free cash

You can normally take 25% of a pension tax-free, capped at £268,275. Spreading it over withdrawals is what most people do, and it's the default here.

Income tax rates

Scotland sets its own rates and bands on pension income, which changes both the tax and the strategy comparison.

The whole journey

Every pot from today to age 92, saving £2,168 a month until 60, then drawing down with “Pension first”.

Where the income comes from

Gross income by source each retirement year, against the dashed line of what you wanted to spend.

Retirement, year by year

In the money of each year. Amounts are gross unless the column says otherwise.

Age 60
£55,618in your hand
From pension
£62,476
Tax
£6,857
Left in pots
£1,321,073
Age 61
£57,009in your hand
From pension
£64,112
Tax
£7,103
Left in pots
£1,316,426
Age 62
£58,434in your hand
From pension
£65,788
Tax
£7,354
Left in pots
£1,309,897
Age 63
£59,895in your hand
From pension
£67,610
Tax
£7,715
Left in pots
£1,301,257
Age 64
£61,392in your hand
From pension
£69,749
Tax
£8,357
Left in pots
£1,290,094
Age 65
£62,927in your hand
From pension
£71,941
Tax
£9,014
Left in pots
£1,276,240
Age 66
£64,500in your hand
From pension
£74,189
Tax
£9,689
Left in pots
£1,259,522
Age 67
£66,113in your hand
State & final-salary
£27,653
From pension
£52,790
Tax
£14,330
Left in pots
£1,263,455
Age 68
£67,766in your hand
State & final-salary
£28,344
From pension
£54,559
Tax
£15,137
Left in pots
£1,265,803
Age 69
£69,460in your hand
State & final-salary
£29,053
From pension
£56,372
Tax
£15,965
Left in pots
£1,266,451
Age 70
£71,196in your hand
State & final-salary
£29,779
From pension
£58,230
Tax
£16,812
Left in pots
£1,265,276
Age 71
£72,976in your hand
State & final-salary
£30,523
From pension
£60,134
Tax
£17,682
Left in pots
£1,262,151
Age 72
£74,800in your hand
State & final-salary
£31,287
From pension
£62,086
Tax
£18,573
Left in pots
£1,256,942
Age 73
£76,670in your hand
State & final-salary
£32,069
From pension
£64,088
Tax
£19,486
Left in pots
£1,249,505
Age 74
£78,587in your hand
State & final-salary
£32,870
From pension
£66,139
Tax
£20,422
Left in pots
£1,239,692
Age 75
£80,552in your hand
State & final-salary
£33,692
From pension
£68,241
Tax
£21,381
Left in pots
£1,227,345
Age 76
£82,566in your hand
State & final-salary
£34,534
From pension
£73,029
Tax
£24,997
Left in pots
£1,209,664
Age 77
£84,630in your hand
State & final-salary
£35,398
From pension
£93,389
Tax
£44,157
Left in pots
£1,170,839
Age 78
£86,746in your hand
State & final-salary
£36,283
From pension
£96,351
Tax
£45,888
Left in pots
£1,127,316
Age 79
£88,914in your hand
State & final-salary
£37,190
From pension
£99,387
Tax
£47,663
Left in pots
£1,078,810
Age 80
£91,137in your hand
State & final-salary
£38,120
From pension
£102,499
Tax
£49,481
Left in pots
£1,025,024
Age 81
£93,416in your hand
State & final-salary
£39,073
From pension
£105,688
Tax
£51,345
Left in pots
£965,641
Age 82
£95,751in your hand
State & final-salary
£40,049
From pension
£108,958
Tax
£53,256
Left in pots
£900,332
Age 83
£98,145in your hand
State & final-salary
£41,051
From pension
£112,309
Tax
£55,215
Left in pots
£828,748
Age 84
£100,598in your hand
State & final-salary
£42,077
From pension
£115,744
Tax
£57,222
Left in pots
£750,525
Age 85
£103,113in your hand
State & final-salary
£43,129
From pension
£119,264
Tax
£59,280
Left in pots
£665,279
Age 86
£105,691in your hand
State & final-salary
£44,207
From pension
£122,873
Tax
£61,389
Left in pots
£572,606
Age 87
£108,333in your hand
State & final-salary
£45,312
From pension
£126,572
Tax
£63,551
Left in pots
£472,085
Age 88
£111,042in your hand
State & final-salary
£46,445
From pension
£130,364
Tax
£65,767
Left in pots
£363,270
Age 89
£113,818in your hand
State & final-salary
£47,606
From pension
£134,250
Tax
£68,038
Left in pots
£245,694
Age 90
£116,663in your hand
State & final-salary
£48,796
From pension
£77,254
From ISA / cash
£33,539
Tax
£42,925
Left in pots
£146,308
Age 91
£119,580in your hand
State & final-salary
£50,016
From ISA / cash
£77,053
Tax
£7,489
Left in pots
£76,048
Age 92
£122,569in your hand
State & final-salary
£51,267
From ISA / cash
£79,241
Tax
£7,939
Left in pots
£70

Income, tax and remaining pots for each year of retirement
Age	State Pension	From pension	From ISA/cash	Tax	In your hand	Left in pots
60	—	£62,476	—	£6,857	£55,618	£1,321,073
61	—	£64,112	—	£7,103	£57,009	£1,316,426
62	—	£65,788	—	£7,354	£58,434	£1,309,897
63	—	£67,610	—	£7,715	£59,895	£1,301,257
64	—	£69,749	—	£8,357	£61,392	£1,290,094
65	—	£71,941	—	£9,014	£62,927	£1,276,240
66	—	£74,189	—	£9,689	£64,500	£1,259,522
67	£27,653	£52,790	—	£14,330	£66,113	£1,263,455
68	£28,344	£54,559	—	£15,137	£67,766	£1,265,803
69	£29,053	£56,372	—	£15,965	£69,460	£1,266,451
70	£29,779	£58,230	—	£16,812	£71,196	£1,265,276
71	£30,523	£60,134	—	£17,682	£72,976	£1,262,151
72	£31,287	£62,086	—	£18,573	£74,800	£1,256,942
73	£32,069	£64,088	—	£19,486	£76,670	£1,249,505
74	£32,870	£66,139	—	£20,422	£78,587	£1,239,692
75	£33,692	£68,241	—	£21,381	£80,552	£1,227,345
76	£34,534	£73,029	—	£24,997	£82,566	£1,209,664
77	£35,398	£93,389	—	£44,157	£84,630	£1,170,839
78	£36,283	£96,351	—	£45,888	£86,746	£1,127,316
79	£37,190	£99,387	—	£47,663	£88,914	£1,078,810
80	£38,120	£102,499	—	£49,481	£91,137	£1,025,024
81	£39,073	£105,688	—	£51,345	£93,416	£965,641
82	£40,049	£108,958	—	£53,256	£95,751	£900,332
83	£41,051	£112,309	—	£55,215	£98,145	£828,748
84	£42,077	£115,744	—	£57,222	£100,598	£750,525
85	£43,129	£119,264	—	£59,280	£103,113	£665,279
86	£44,207	£122,873	—	£61,389	£105,691	£572,606
87	£45,312	£126,572	—	£63,551	£108,333	£472,085
88	£46,445	£130,364	—	£65,767	£111,042	£363,270
89	£47,606	£134,250	—	£68,038	£113,818	£245,694
90	£48,796	£77,254	£33,539	£42,925	£116,663	£146,308
91	£50,016	—	£77,053	£7,489	£119,580	£76,048
92	£51,267	—	£79,241	£7,939	£122,569	£70

You have the monthly figure. Now watch it survive real life.

A saving target only works if your household can actually sustain it through a mortgage, career breaks and everything else. Put it in a living plan and see the whole journey, not just the destination.

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How this calculator works

This is Quidworth's retirement drawdown planner run backwards. The planner asks “will this plan hold?”; this page starts from the retirement you want - how much income, from what age, for how long - and searches for the smallest monthly pension contribution that makes the whole plan hold. Because putting more in can only ever make the plan last longer, the search can home in on the exact minimum: the answer shown is the contribution at which the plan just about funds every year, ending near zero at your plan-to age.

Behind the search sits a full year-by-year simulation of your retirement: your pension, ISAs and cash grow while you save, and are then drawn on in a chosen order, with income tax charged on the pension withdrawals, 25% tax-free cash handled the way you choose, and the State Pension and any final-salary income arriving on their own schedule. Your income target rises with inflation every year, so the plan pays for the same standard of living throughout, not the same number of pounds.

The strategy table exists because the order you empty your pots changes the tax you pay on the way out, and therefore how much you need to put in. The solver runs separately for each of the three orders - ISA first, pension first, and filling the basic-rate band each year - and the cheapest becomes the headline answer. The solved saving is directed into your pension because contributions there are grossed up with tax relief, making it the cheapest pound of retirement income to buy; the trade-off is that pension money is locked until 55 (57 from April 2028), so a very early retirement leans on the ISA and cash pots for its first years - check the year-by-year table to see the bridge working.

The usual honesty notes apply: growth is a fixed assumed rate, so a bad run of returns early in retirement - sequence risk - isn't modelled; the ISA pot is treated as tax-free on withdrawal, which is optimistic for a general investment account; and the model covers one person, not a couple. Treat the monthly figure as a planning number to revisit each year, not a guarantee.

Questions people ask

How much money do I need to retire in the UK?

It depends on the income you want, the age it starts, how long it must last, and what you already hold - which is exactly what this calculator asks. As a reference point, the PLSA's Retirement Living Standards put a moderate single-person retirement at roughly £31,700 a year and a comfortable one at about £43,900, before any adjustment for your own housing costs. Enter your own target and the calculator turns it into a concrete monthly saving figure.

Why does the answer change with the withdrawal strategy?

Because tax is charged on pension withdrawals but not on ISA withdrawals, the order you empty your pots changes how much of your money survives to be spent - and therefore how much you need to put in. Drawing pension income up to the top of the basic-rate band each year, then topping up from the ISA, typically wastes the least of your personal allowance, which is why that strategy usually needs the smallest monthly contribution here.

Where does the calculator assume my monthly saving goes?

Into your pension. That's a deliberate choice, not a simplification: pension contributions are grossed up with tax relief, so a pound of take-home pay buys more retirement income there than anywhere else, and the strategy comparison already accounts for the tax you pay getting it back out. If you'd direct some of it to an ISA instead - for example to bridge retirement before pension access age - treat the answer as the total to invest, and note the pension access ages in the next answer.

Can I retire before I can touch my pension?

Pensions normally can't be accessed before age 55 today, rising to 57 from April 2028. If your income needs to start before that, the early years have to come from ISAs, general investments or cash - the calculator will draw on those pots automatically, but check the year-by-year table to make sure the bridge years are actually covered by non-pension money.

Is the monthly figure guaranteed to be enough?

No - it's the minimum that funds your plan under the growth, inflation and tax assumptions you can see and adjust on the page. Real investment returns arrive unevenly, and a poor run early in retirement does more damage than the same average spread evenly. Treat the answer as a planning figure to revisit yearly, and consider testing a lower growth rate for a margin of safety.

Last reviewed August 2026 against 2026/27 UK rules. Projections are estimates for education, not financial advice. Understanding your projections.

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