A pension is a long-term investment. Its value can go down as well as up and could be worth less than was paid in. Laws and tax rules may change in the future. Your own circumstances and where you live in the UK will also have an impact on tax treatment.

Explore our pension guides

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to retirement. Whether you want to stop working completely or reduce your hours in later life, a pension plan can help you fund the kind of lifestyle you want.

Our pension guides and tools can help you understand how pensions work, how to take your money when you reach retirement age and more. We’ve also got handy tools like our pension calculator that can help you see how much money you might have in future.

 

Pension starter guides

If you're new to pensions or just want to brush up on the basics, these guides can help get you started with the three types of pension plan most people have.

  • Personal pension basics

    This starter guide explains how personal pensions work, and some key things to think about as you save for retirement

  • Workplace pensions explained

    If you're employed, you might be enrolled in a workplace pension scheme. This guide explains how they work.

  • What is the state pension?

    What is the state pension age, how much is it and how do you make a claim? This guide explains all.

  • Pension transfers explained

    It's may be possible to transfer all your pension plans together into one plan. Find out how transfers work and how they can help you manage your retirement savings.

Tax and pensions

Read our guides to understand how tax works with pensions, including handy tips on reducing the amount of tax you might have to pay.

  • The Pension Annual Allowance

    Find out how much can be paid into your pension plan each tax year before having to pay tax charges

     

  • Lump Sum Allowances

    These are limits on the total tax-free lump sum benefits that can be paid from all your pensions during your lifetime and on death.

     

  • Tax in retirement

    After years of building up your life savings you don’t want to pay more tax than you need to. Use our guide to understand tax on pensions when you’re accessing your money

     

Is your pension on track?

Pensions are a great way to save for life in retirement, but how do you know if you’re saving enough and what can you do if you feel you’re not? Our guides below can help.

How much should I save?

This guide has important things to think about when working out how much money to save for retirement. Get started here.

 

Pension top ups

If you feel your retirement savings aren't on track, you can top up your pension plan to give it a boost. You can learn more and make a top up here.

Pension types and other things to think about

Learn more about the different types of plans you might want to consider. There are also a few important things you can think about, whatever type you choose.

  • Pension types explained

    This guide breaks down different pension types you might come across. We cover what they are, how they work and some key things to think about.

  • Ways to take your money

    When you feel ready to retire, you’ll need to decide how you want to take your money. We explain all the options here.

     

  • When the worst happens

    What happens to your pension plan when you die? Preparing for the worst could give you peace of mind.Find out how to pass your pension onto your family.