How much should I save for retirement?

Aim for 15–20% of your gross income, including employer contributions. The earlier you start, the lower this percentage needs to be. Use the calculator to find the monthly amount that reaches your target.

The 4% rule suggests you can safely withdraw 4% of your retirement pot each year without running out of money over a 30-year retirement. So a £500,000 pot would provide £20,000/year.

Should I use a pension or ISA for retirement?

Pensions offer tax relief on contributions (20–45%) and employer matching, but you can't access them until age 55 (rising to 57). ISAs are more flexible. Most people benefit from using both.

Should I account for inflation?

Yes — inflation erodes purchasing power over time. Use the Advanced Settings to add an inflation rate (2–3% is typical for the UK) to see your results in today's money. This gives a more realistic picture of future wealth.

What's the best strategy for compound growth?

Start early, contribute consistently, and let time do the work. Even small amounts grow significantly over decades. Increasing your contributions by a small percentage each year (use Advanced Settings) can dramatically boost your final balance.

Retirement Planning

Retirement Compound
Interest Calculator

See how small monthly savings can grow into life-changing money

Planning for retirement requires consistency and time. See how monthly contributions grow over decades and find out what you need to save to hit your target.

Free to useNo signup requiredUsed by UK investors

1Calculate

2Understand

3Take action

Starting amount

£0£20k£200k

Monthly contribution

£0£1k£5k

Expected annual return

Time horizon

yrs

Final Balance

£597,847

After 35 years

You Put In

£131,000

Your own money

Interest Earned

£466,847

Earned passively

You could reach £597,847 — investing tax-free can help you get there

Your money vs compound growth78% from interest

ContributionsCompound interest

To reach £597,847, most UK investors use a Stocks & Shares ISA to invest £300/month tax-free.

Returns depend on the underlying investments and are not guaranteed.

Your £300/month fits within the £20,000 ISA allowance

All growth inside an ISA is tax-free. Start from as little as £1.

Capital at risk when investing

Thousands of UK investors use this calculator monthly

Start investing tax-free ↓

Compare scenarios

See how different choices change your outcome

Growth Over Time

Quick Scenarios

Your Personalised Insights

Year 17: your interest overtakes your contributions. From here, compounding does the heavy lifting.
Your money earns ~£37/day in interest — that's £466,847 earned while you sleep.
Saving just £50 more per month would add £90,053 to your final balance — that's £21,000 invested for £90,053 extra.
5 more years would add £271,154 — nearly 45% more, showing how powerful time is.
Starting 5 years earlier would add £191,273 to your final balance. Every year you wait costs real money.Start investing now →
Consistency beats timing — investing £300/month for 35 years matters more than picking the perfect moment to start.
At your current plan, you reach £500k in 33 years. That's a real milestone — and it compounds from there.Start building towards it →

Next Steps

Affiliate disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you sign up. This does not influence which platforms are shown or how they are described.

Explore popular UK investment platforms

Many UK investors hold investments in a stocks & shares ISA for tax efficiency. Returns depend on the investments held within the ISA and are not guaranteed. Here are popular platforms available to UK investors.

FCA regulatedFree to openTax-free ISA growth

Platform	Min. invest	Fees	ISA	Best for
Trading 212	Start from £1	No commission	Yes	Beginner-friendly
Revolut	No minimum	Free plan available	Yes	All-in-one finance
Estateguru	Start from €50	No investor fees	—	Property-backed lending

Trading 212

Suited for: Beginner-friendly

Commission-free stocks & shares ISA. Clean app, no hidden charges, perfect for getting started.

Most popular choice for UK investors starting small

No commission on stocks1M+ UK usersFree ISA included

No commissionStart from £1FCA regulatedGet started free →

All-in-one appAffiliate

Revolut

Suited for: All-in-one finance

All-in-one finance app with savings vaults, stock trading, crypto, and multi-currency accounts. Great for everyday money management.

40M+ global usersInstant account setupSavings + investing in one app

Free plan availableNo minimumFCA regulatedGet started free →

Property-backed lendingAffiliate

Estateguru

Suited for: Property-backed lending

European property-backed lending platform. Returns are not guaranteed and your capital is at risk. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Property-secured loansAuto-invest available

P2P lending is high risk. You could lose some or all of your money. Not covered by the FSCS.

No investor feesStart from €50Licensed by Estonian Financial Supervision AuthorityGet started free →

Capital at risk. These are informational suggestions, not financial advice.

Invest from £1 tax-free

Capital at risk

Start investing →

Try These Scenarios

Retire at 55 — How Much Do You Need to Save?Plan to retire at 55 with our compound interest calculator. See how much to invest monthly to build a sufficient retirement pot.Retire at 60 — Retirement Savings CalculatorCalculate how much you need to save monthly to retire comfortably at 60. See compound interest projections for 25–35 year horizons.Retire at 65 — Standard Retirement CalculatorPlan for a comfortable retirement at 65. Calculate how much monthly saving builds over a 30–40 year career with compound interest.

Explore All Scenarios

Browse pre-built calculators by category.

What If You Invest £50 Per Month?See how even £50 per month compounds into real wealth over time. Free calculator with visual charts and year-by-year breakdown.What If You Invest £100 Per Month?See how investing £100 per month grows over time with compound interest. Calculate your projected returns with our free tool.Invest £200 Per Month — Compound Growth ProjectionCalculate how £200 monthly contributions grow with compound interest over 10, 20, or 30 years. Free visual calculator.Invest £300 Per Month — How Much Will It Grow?See how £300 monthly investments compound over 10, 20, or 30 years. Visual calculator with insights and year-by-year projections.Invest £500 Per Month — Long-Term Growth CalculatorSee how £500 monthly investments compound over time. Visualise your potential returns with charts and year-by-year breakdown.Invest £750 Per Month — Wealth Projection CalculatorCalculate how £750 per month compounds over time. See projected balances, interest earned, and milestone years.Invest £1,000 Per Month — Wealth Building CalculatorCalculate how investing £1,000 per month compounds over time. See projected balances, interest earned, and growth charts.Invest £1,500 Per Month — High-Earner Growth CalculatorSee how investing £1,500 monthly builds wealth over time. Projections for 10, 20, and 30-year horizons with compound interest.Invest £2,000 Per Month — Accelerated Wealth CalculatorCalculate how £2,000 monthly investments compound into serious wealth. See projections with charts, milestones, and breakdowns.

How much do you need to retire?

A common rule of thumb is to aim for a retirement pot of 25 times your desired annual income — the "4% rule." If you want £30,000/year in retirement, you'd need approximately £750,000. That sounds daunting, but compound interest makes it achievable: £300/month at 7% over 35 years grows to roughly £553,000, with only £126,000 contributed from your pocket.

The cost of waiting to start

Every year you delay starting a retirement fund costs you disproportionately. Starting at 25 with £200/month at 7% gives you about £525,000 by 65. Starting at 35 gives you only £244,000 — less than half — despite saving for 30 years instead of 40. The first years of investing are the most valuable because they compound the longest.

Workplace pensions and compound interest

If your employer offers pension matching, that's an immediate 100% return on your contribution. Combined with compound interest, employer matching dramatically accelerates growth. Many UK workers are auto-enrolled at 5% employee + 3% employer contributions. Use this calculator to see how topping up your pension beyond the minimum could transform your retirement outcome.

Retirement CompoundInterest Calculator