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Compare Drawdown publishes free, dated data on what UK pension drawdown costs. Journalists, researchers and bloggers are welcome to use it — please credit Compare Drawdown and link to the source.
Quotable figures (September 2026)
- On a £250,000 pot, platform charges range from £0 (InvestEngine, ETF-only) to £1,125 (Standard Life), before fund charges. Plans that bundle fund or management costs into one fee charge £1,225 to £1,350.
- The median platform charge is £175 on a £50,000 pot, £270 on £100,000, £431 on £250,000 and £431 on £500,000 (plans that bundle fund or management costs left out).
- If the pot stayed at £250,000, 20 years of that £1,125 yearly gap would be £22,500, before any lost investment growth.
- Percentage fees suit smaller pots and flat fees larger ones: on a £50,000 pot the median percentage-based charge is £175 against a median flat fee of £201, but on a £100,000 pot it is £350 against £201 (11 percentage-fee and 6 flat-fee platforms).
Full Cost Index and methodology · Download the data: CSV · JSON · licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Past edition (July 2026): CSV · JSON
Capital at risk. The value of investments can fall as well as rise. Charges are one factor among several; this is comparison information, not financial advice.
The edition story
What changed between the July 2026 and September 2026 editions.
- On a £250,000 pot, platform charges range from £0 (InvestEngine, ETF-only) to £1,125 (Standard Life), before fund charges.
- Lower on a £250,000 pot than in the July 2026 edition: Interactive Investor (£252 to £180).
- Higher than in the July 2026 edition: IG (£210 to £390).
- Some of these moves correct our own earlier data rather than reflect a price change; the fee changes log says which.
- New in this edition: InvestEngine, Barclays Direct Investing (formerly Smart Investor), EQi, Moneybox, CMC Invest and Penfold.
- No longer in the index: Aegon, Quilter, Prudential, St James's Place, True Potential, Royal London and Nucleus (formerly James Hay). The fee changes log explains why.
Read the fee changes log · Follow changes (Atom)
How to credit or embed the index
Cite as "Compare Drawdown, UK Pension Drawdown Cost Index, September 2026" with a link to https://comparedrawdown.co.uk/drawdown-cost-index. The embed loads no scripts or trackers and includes a credit link:
<iframe src="https://comparedrawdown.co.uk/embed/cost-index" title="UK Pension Drawdown Cost Index" width="100%" height="560" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p>Source: <a href="https://comparedrawdown.co.uk/drawdown-cost-index">Compare Drawdown Cost Index</a> (CC BY 4.0)</p>
Media kit
Spokesperson
Phil Handley, Chartered Financial Planner — available for comment on drawdown charges, retirement income, tax-free cash, pension transfers and provider fee changes. Profile and credentials.
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