The value of all investments can go down as well as up and could be worth less than was paid in. We recommend that you regularly review your investments to make sure they remain appropriate for you and they're on track to meet your goals.

What are Investment Pathways?

Investment Pathways are designed to offer simple investment options when you start accessing your pension savings to help you get the retirement you want.

Our Investment Pathways are ready-made investment options based on the four most common ways you can take your pension savings. You choose how you intend to take your money and we'll ensure you're in the best investment option to suit your needs.

We continually review and, where appropriate, evolve our investment options so they continue to target how you plan to take your money at retirement or your savings goals. You can find out about any changes we’re making on our fund news page.


 

Which Investment Pathway is right for me?

There are four investment options, each with a different goal you may have for the money in your pension savings.

  • Option 1:
    I have no plans to take my money in the next five years (deferring)

     

    By choosing Investment Pathways 1, your money will be invested to balance growth and risk to ensure it supports your longer-term plans.

  • Option 2:
    I plan to use my money to set up a guaranteed income for life within the next five years (annuity)

     

    By choosing Investment Pathways 2, your money will be invested to match changes in annuity rates.

  • Option 3:
    I plan to start taking my money as a long-term income within the next five years (drawdown)

     

    By choosing Investment Pathways 3, your money will be invested to grow while also offering stability.

  • Option 4:
    I plan to take all my money within the next five years (withdrawal)

     

    By choosing Investment Pathway 4, your money will be invested to remain stable.

Read our fund fact sheets

To find out how our investment pathway funds are managed, select the fund fact sheet for the option that best meets your retirement needs.

  • Standard Life Option 1 Fund
  • Standard life Option 2 Fund
  • Standard Life Option 3 Fund
  • Standard Life Option 4 Fund

These documents are intended for use by individuals who are familiar with investment terminology. If you're looking for a place to start, see our guides to help you understand investments

The information here is not intended to be financial advice. If you’re unsure of where to invest, we recommend you seek appropriate guidance or advice before you make any decisions. You can get help finding an adviser on the MoneyHelper website
 

Important things to think about

It’s important that you understand what you’ll need your money to do for you in retirement. How you choose to take your money will change the way you need to invest and will depend on your personal circumstances.

The relationship between how much money you’ll need in retirement and how much you’ve saved into your pension savings ahead of retirement is key. It can help determine the types of gains you might need to make or how much loss you’re able to accept from your investments.

Making these kinds of decisions can be difficult and you might find it helps to speak to a financial adviser.

Questions about Investment Pathways

Invest in an Investment Pathway through a pension plan