How much should you have saved by 30, 40 & 50? Set your target — see if you're ahead or behind, and the monthly amount to catch up.
There's no official UK benchmark — so we build one from your own goal. The pot you need ≈ (target income − State Pension) × 25 (the 4% rule). We then trace the path of level saving from age 25 that reaches that pot by your chosen retirement age, and read off where you "should" be at 30, 40 and 50.
Worked example: a single person wanting a "moderate" £32,700 a year needs a pot of about £500,000. On ~5% annual growth, that means roughly £20,000 by 30, £80,000 by 40 and £175,000 by 50. The famous salary multiples (1× by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50) are a rough gut-check; the average UK pension pot by these ages is far lower — about £18,800, £39,500 and £80,000 — which is comforting, but average is a floor to beat, not a finish line.
Sources: gov.uk (State Pension, 2026/27), PLSA Retirement Living Standards 2025, Fidelity savings-by-age guidelines, the 4% rule (Bengen / Trinity study). Figures are illustrative.
Illustrative only — not financial advice. Benchmarks assume level real saving from age 25 to your retirement age at the growth rate you set, and pot ≈ (target income − State Pension) × 25. Real outcomes depend on tax, your home, inflation, contributions and market returns, which this doesn't model precisely — it gets the right ballpark fast. Your capital is at risk. Always do your own research or speak to a qualified adviser.
Sources: gov.uk (State Pension), PLSA Retirement Living Standards 2025, Fidelity savings-by-age data. © The Base Rate · Calculators · About · @the_baserate