About pensions.explained
Pensions Explained is built around one observation: most of the pension information available online is either too vague to be useful or too dense to be readable.
The articles here try to be neither. They're written to be accurate about how UK pensions actually work — checked against primary sources, updated when the rules change — and written in plain English without talking down to the reader.
Esther Smith
Founder & Writer
Writes and edits the consumer-facing content. Built this site after teaching herself everything about pensions when she went self-employed.
Mark Smith CFA
Expert Contributor
Reviews content for factual accuracy and writes the expert section on how pension funds invest. 15+ years in institutional asset management.
What this site covers
UK pensions: the State Pension, workplace pensions, personal pensions and SIPPs, the tax rules, how to take money out, how to manage what you've built up. The content is written for people who haven't had time to think about this yet, not for people who've already read everything else.
What this site is not
A financial advice service. Nothing here is personal advice tailored to your circumstances. The content explains how pensions work in general terms.
If you're making a significant pension decision — particularly around a defined benefit pension transfer, a drawdown strategy, or how your pension interacts with your estate — speak to an FCA-regulated financial adviser. You can find one through Unbiased (affiliate link — free initial consultation, no obligation). For free impartial guidance, MoneyHelper is government-backed.
Corrections
If something here is wrong, please say so. Factual accuracy matters more than looking like we got everything right first time.