Pension Fees Cost You Thousands

Your retirement savings could lose £87k to high pension fees.

Sep 29, 2026

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Pension Fees Cost You Thousands

Your retirement savings could lose £87k to high pension fees.

In brief

Your retirement savings could lose £87k to high pension fees. High pension fees cost retirees tens of thousands of pounds over time. Originally reported by MoneyWeek.

Retirement savings goal

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Saving for retirement builds enough money for later life.

Pension options

Workplace pensions and self-invested personal pensions (SIPP) are common choices.

Fee impact

0.5% fees cost £47k over 40 years for £250 monthly contributions.

Higher fees hurt more

Higher fees hurt more

1.5% fees cost £87k more than 0.5% fees over 40 years.

Expert warning

Vanguard's James Norton says higher fees mean lower returns.

“When buying a car, it's common for a more expensive vehicle to perform better than a cheaper one. So, you may think that higher fees should lead to better investment outcomes. But the higher the fees you pay the less returns you get to keep for yourself.”

Fees comparison

Vanguard charges 0.15% max, AJ Bell 0.25% on first £250k.

What to do next

What to do next

Shop around for low-fee pension providers to save money.

The one thing

High pension fees cost retirees tens of thousands of pounds over time.

Read the original on MoneyWeek

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