Getting to know your pension better can help make it easier to plan for your future. We’ll show you how to check your pension, understand what you have and how to make changes. We also answer some of the most commonly asked questions.

Tax year end and what you need to know

If you’re looking to make the most of your finances and reduce your tax bill for 2023 / 2024 we can help you but you’ll need to act quickly as any changes need to be done by 5th April 2024.

Check out our top tips

Get the most out of your finances ahead of tax year end.

What you need to know

Check your pension

Whether your pension is with us or another pension provider, we explain how to check your pension, what to do next and show you how your pension compares in our Pension Mirror. 
 

Mobile phone with app.

Have a pension with us?

If you have a Scottish Widows workplace pension, download our app to check your pension. 

For all other Scottish Widows customers, you can check your pension via our Online Services.

Online services
Scan the image to look in our pension mirror

See how your pension compares in our pension mirror

First we’ll guess your age, then we'll show you what people the same age have saved in their pension.  Having something to compare yourself too is a great first step in checking whether your pension is on track.

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Tools and calculators

Tools and calculators

Our pension calculators let you see what impact changing things like your contributions or retirement age, might have. 

Try our tools and calculators

Manage your pension

Getting to know your pension helps puts you in control of your money. See what you could do with your pension right now from tracing past pensions to making your money easier to manage.
 

Boost your pension by £192,000

Boost your pension by £192,000

People who start saving into their workplace pension at age 22, rather than age 28, and save the recommended 12% rather than the minimum 5% of their salary could boost their retirement pot by £192,000.

See how it works (PDF, 800KB) Opens in a new tab.

Track down lost pension pots

Track down lost pension pots

There are 2.8 million lost pension pots in the UK, each worth an average of £9,500*. It’s easy to track down lost pensions and it could give your savings a boost.

* Source: Association of British Insurers 2022

Get started

Protect yourself from pension scams

Protect yourself from pension scams

Pension scams are on the rise. They often start with an unexpected call, text or email. Increasingly, online and social media are also being used to target people. Go to pension scams and read ‘6 signs of a pension scam’ to spot what to look for.

How to protect yourself

Combine your pensions

If you have more than one pension then combining them into one pension pot could save you time, money and make things easier to manage.

It pays to know your pension

We partnered with YouGov and found a statistically significant difference in retirement age between the people who regularly checked their pensions and those who didn’t   

Our pension expert Robert explains this in more detail and how actively managing your pension helps give you a better chance of achieving your retirement goals.


Our helpful checklist highlights key points to check
 

  • Knowing what you contribute now, what it’s worth and what it might be worth in the future can help you check if you’re on track for the retirement age you want. Watch our films to find out more.

    Our experts help you understand if your pension is on track and what you should be considering.

     

    Is my pension on track? Is it enough?

    How much should I save for retirement?

  • It’s good to understand where the money you save into your pension is invested. We have lots of useful content to help if you want to learn a bit more about investing.

    Visit our investment essentials page

  • This information should be on your annual benefit statement but if you're unsure you can speak with your employer.  They will be able to confirm how much they take from your salary each month along with the amount they contribute on your behalf.  It’s worth remembering you’ll also receive tax relief on the payment you make, up to the limits set by the Government.

  • It’s easy to lose track of your pension so it’s really important to keep on top of simple pension admin, like nominating beneficiaries (who you’d like your money to be left to) and making sure your contact details are up-to-date.

    If you’re a Scottish Widows customer you can do this via our online services.  If not you can check with your provider.

Your financial planning questions answered

Your pension questions

Further reading

Further reading

We’re here to help you achieve your retirement goals and have lots of useful content to support you no matter where you are on your retirement journey.
 


Your investment questions

What is stock market volatility?

Watch our short video to learn more about what makes investment values go up and down. We’ll explain why stock market volatility is normal, and how long term investing works.

Exploring investments

We’re here to help you understand how your pension’s invested and have lots of useful information and views from our experts to get you started.

Exploring investments


Your protection questions

What is critical illness cover?

How long do I need life insurance for?

How will my family be looked after financially if I get ill and stop working, or die?

Further reading

Further reading

It’s not easy to think about, but if something were to happen to you, having a plan in place could be the difference between your family maintaining their lifestyle and paying off the mortgage, or losing their home but we can help make sure you and your family have the right financial protection in place.
 

USEFUL LINKS

If you havn't found what you’re looking for, these free resources can also help with your questions
 

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