What could your investments grow to?
Start with what you have, add what you could put in each month, and explore what time could do.
From your inputs above · Projection before tax
In 20 years, you could have £120,130£120,130
After 0.5% annual fees, before tax.
- Starting investment
- £10,000
- Later contributions
- £60,000
- Investment gain / loss
- £50,130
Starting money plus later contributions plus investment gain or loss equals the projected balance.
What could change the picture?
Move the dials to compare another future. Your headline stays tied to the inputs above.
The same balance. Move a dial to explore.
Projected pounds · Before tax
Scale adjusts automatically
Exploring £250 a month, 5% annual return and 0.5% annual fees. The dotted area shows a higher or lower balance than your starting projection, including any change in money paid in. These are assumptions, not predictions.
Starting at £250
Starting at 5%
Starting at 0.5%
Compare the breakdown
| £, rounded | Starting | Exploring | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting investment | 10,000 | 10,000 | 0 |
| Later contributions | 60,000 | 60,000 | 0 |
| Investment gain / loss | 50,130 | 50,130 | 0 |
| Projected balance | 120,130 | 120,130 | 0 |
See the annual figures
| Year | Starting money | Later payments | Gain / loss | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 10,000 | 0 | 0 | 10,000 |
| 1 | 10,000 | 3,000 | 520 | 13,520 |
| 2 | 10,000 | 6,000 | 1,197 | 17,197 |
| 3 | 10,000 | 9,000 | 2,039 | 21,039 |
| 4 | 10,000 | 12,000 | 3,052 | 25,052 |
| 5 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 4,246 | 29,246 |
| 6 | 10,000 | 18,000 | 5,627 | 33,627 |
| 7 | 10,000 | 21,000 | 7,204 | 38,204 |
| 8 | 10,000 | 24,000 | 8,986 | 42,986 |
| 9 | 10,000 | 27,000 | 10,982 | 47,982 |
| 10 | 10,000 | 30,000 | 13,201 | 53,201 |
| 11 | 10,000 | 33,000 | 15,654 | 58,654 |
| 12 | 10,000 | 36,000 | 18,351 | 64,351 |
| 13 | 10,000 | 39,000 | 21,303 | 70,303 |
| 14 | 10,000 | 42,000 | 24,521 | 76,521 |
| 15 | 10,000 | 45,000 | 28,018 | 83,018 |
| 16 | 10,000 | 48,000 | 31,805 | 89,805 |
| 17 | 10,000 | 51,000 | 35,896 | 96,896 |
| 18 | 10,000 | 54,000 | 40,304 | 104,304 |
| 19 | 10,000 | 57,000 | 45,044 | 112,044 |
| 20 | 10,000 | 60,000 | 50,130 | 120,130 |
Could this help you retire?
Explore how your pensions, savings and retirement budget fit together.
Explore your retirementUse your current pension and savings balances in the retirement planner. This projected balance is a future illustration.
Where you hold your investments matters
What you keep, and when you can use it, also depends on the account you choose.
- Stocks and shares ISA
- For money you may want before retirement. Your investments can grow free of UK income and capital gains tax, and you can take money out without paying tax.
- Pension
- For your life after work. Tax relief can help your contributions go further. There are rules on when you can take the money out, and some withdrawals may be taxed.
- Other investments
- You can invest outside an ISA or pension too. Tax on investment income and For 2026/27, most people have a £3,000 annual tax-free allowance for gains. On taxable investment gains above it, the rate is 18% within your remaining basic-rate band and 24% above that. Tax applies to the profit, not the whole amount you sell. on profits when you sell may leave you with less to spend or reinvest, depending on your allowances.
The chart shows growth before tax. It does not add pension tax relief or check account allowances. The right mix depends on your plans and when you need the money.
Allowances and tax rules
For 2026/27, you can pay up to £20,000 across your adult ISAs in total. This limits new payments, not how much your ISA can grow to. How the ISA allowance works.
With a stocks and shares ISA, access depends on selling your investments and your provider’s terms. Taking money out of an ISA.
Pension tax relief has limits and depends on your circumstances. You normally need to reach your pension’s minimum access age before taking money out. Pension tax relief and tax on withdrawals.
Outside these accounts, separate rules apply to dividend income and profits when you sell investments. See the Capital Gains Tax rates and annual allowance. Tax rules can change.
How this projection works
Payments arrive at the start of each month. The annual return is effective: we use its monthly equivalent, so it compounds back to the annual assumption. All investment income is reinvested.
We multiply the annual growth factor by one minus the annual fee rate, then take its monthly equivalent. For example, a 5% return and 1% fees give 3.95% a year after fees. Fees are a proportional reduction in growth, not a separate estimate of cash charges paid. Each monthly balance is rounded to a penny.
Monthly contributions stay fixed in cash. The headline, chart and tables show the actual number of pounds projected. The buying-power explanation divides the headline balance by the assumed rise in prices over the investment period. It helps you compare what that money could buy with prices today, without changing the projected pound balance.
Whole-pound figures are rounded to reconcile. There are no withdrawals, taxes, wrapper allowances or contribution increases in this model. Actual returns vary and losses can be larger than the assumptions shown. This is arithmetic, not a forecast or financial advice.