Andrea love your questions.

1. we would have it in Net-worth tracker. It is a DC pension so you just put the value.
2. It is only DB (defined Benefit) pensions that you multiply by 25. DC is the value it is and then you just take from that pot!
3. For the lump sum we would wait till November. Your numbers will look great them! lol. But for the actual pension bit put in 25 x now……
4. good work paying it off whilst it is 0% interest. Love it. If it was me I would put it as debt until it has gone and then the tracker will automatically counter the cash against it in the total figure!

you are awesome Andrea! Alan

Here it is Deborah: https://rebeldonegans.com/finance/take-control/compounding-calculator/

Linda
Hi Linda! So glad you’re loving the course and taking action—go you! 🙌 Let’s help you get clarity on your SIPP contributions. This is an overview and without knowing a bit more I have kept it pretty broad and generic. Can you give us more detail? Does this help you get started?

1. Do You Have a Defined Benefit (DB) Pension?
If you’re contributing to a DB pension (like a final salary scheme), you’ll need to ask your provider how they value your contributions. DB pensions don’t work like SIPPs or personal pensions—they’re based on salary and years of service, and the value of your contributions is calculated differently. Your provider can give you a statement showing how much you’re contributing and what benefits you’re building.

2. UK Pension Contribution Limits (2025/26)
Here’s a quick overview of the current rules:

You can contribute up to £60,000 per year across all your pensions and still receive tax relief.
However, your maximum tax-relievable contribution is capped at your total PAYE income for the year. So if you earn £30,000, that’s your personal limit—even if you haven’t hit the £60,000 cap.
If your income is over £260,000, your allowance may be tapered down to £10,000.
You can also carry forward unused allowance from the previous three tax years if you were a member of a pension scheme during those years.
If you’ve flexibly accessed your pension (e.g., taken income from a SIPP), your allowance may drop to £10,000 under the Money Purchase Annual Allowance.
You’re asking all the right questions, Linda. Keep going—you’re building a strong foundation for your financial future!

Peace and Pineapples 🍍✌️

Hey Claire, have you calculated what you would loose by moving early? The exact £££ amount? That might help you understand the decisions better.

Also November and December aren’t that far away so you can just wait till that date and transfer them. It is only a couple of months and isn’t going to make that much difference.

I would set the dates, put calendar reminders and maybe organise a fancy breakfast to open my new Stocks and Shares ISA and get the transfer going. Make a thing of it and look forward to doing it…….

Does that help Claire?

Alan

Hey Nige, it is in the week 8 course notes about half way down the page: https://rebeldonegans.com/finance/rfs/course-notes/week-8/ Sending you happiness. Alan

Hey Joyce, I knew how you feel. Sometimes I end up going, where was that thing and how do I find it! Was it eh bridging calculator, they works out how much you need between the sipp and state pension? Was it the Investor Policy Statement creator? for working out how to invest and organise your money? Can you tell me more about the purpose? ALan

Hey Elaine, thanks for writing. If you already have a platform or a SIPP and Stocks and Shares ISA then you probably have a free GIA included with them. Who are you with at the moment? You probably don’t need another platform depending on who you are currently with. Does that make sense? Alan

Rob, thank you so much for writing and for sharing your numbers. You and your wife have done an incredible job getting to this position. This is the kind of question I get excited about because it’s all about optimising rather than fixing.

1. Is there a downside to having a pension pot over £1.1m?
Short answer: Not really, as long as you’re aware of the tax rules and plan your withdrawals smartly. The old Lifetime Allowance (LTA) is gone, so you’re not going to get hit with a big LTA tax charge just for going over £1.1m. The main thing to watch now is the lump sum allowance (currently £268,275 per person), which is the maximum you can take tax-free from your pensions across your lifetime.

2. How much can you actually live off?
With £1.3m in pensions, the classic “4% rule” says you could take out about £52k a year (4% of £1.3m). But you don’t have to take that much — and you probably don’t want to if you want to keep your tax bill low. If you only need, say, £40k–£44k a year, you’re golden. You can take 25% of your pot (up to the lump sum allowance) tax-free, and the rest is taxed as income.
Example:

£1.1m × 4% = £44k/year
First 25% of withdrawals (up to your lump sum allowance) is tax-free
The rest is taxed as income, but you get your personal allowance (£12,570) tax-free each year, and the rest is taxed at 20% up to about £50k total income

You are in a fabulous spot and this is still SUPER tax efficient, especially as you are higher rate now.

3. Should you keep contributing to your pension?
If you’re still working and can contribute £40k this year (and keep it in the 20% tax band), it’s still a great deal. You get tax relief on the way in, and you can control how and when you take it out. But you’re right to ask: is there a point where it’s better to put new money into ISAs instead? Here’s some thoughts:

Pensions: Still brilliant for tax relief, especially if you’re a higher-rate taxpayer. But once you’re close to your lump sum allowance and you’ve got more than enough to cover your desired spending, you might want to start building up your ISAs for flexibility and tax-free withdrawals.
ISAs: No tax relief on the way in, but completely tax-free on the way out. Great for flexibility, especially if you want to take bigger lump sums or have more control over your withdrawals in retirement.

4. No kids, so IHT not an issue
You don’t need to worry about inheritance tax planning for your pensions. That means you can focus purely on what gives you the best lifestyle and lowest tax bill.

5. Strategy for drawdown
Work out how much you actually want to spend each year. If it’s under £50k, you’ll stay in the basic rate tax band.
Use your tax-free lump sum allowance first (spread it over several years if you want to keep your income in the basic rate band).
After that, use your personal allowance and basic rate band to keep your tax bill low.
If you have ISAs, use those for extra flexibility and tax-free withdrawals.

If you want to play with the numbers, use our retirement calculator or use the Financial Forecasting workshop to plan it all out.

6. Final thoughts

You’re in a fantastic position. The “downside” is just that you need to be a bit more thoughtful about tax planning and withdrawal strategy, but you have options.

If you want to get really nerdy, check out our drawdown flowcharts and guides — they’ll walk you through the order to take money out for maximum efficiency.

Peace and pineapples,
Alan & Katie