Editorial Policy
Pensions affect people's financial security in retirement. Getting the rules wrong, or not keeping up when they change, has real consequences. This page explains how we try to avoid that.
Who writes the content
Articles are written by Mark Smith CFAor by specialist financial writers working to the same standard. Mark reviews content for factual accuracy before it's published.
Mark holds the CFA designation and has over 15 years of experience in institutional asset management and pension fund investing.
Sources
Every factual claim about pension rules, tax thresholds, contribution limits, or legislation is checked against primary sources. We use:
- gov.uk — State Pension amounts, auto-enrolment rules, HMRC tax guidance
- The Pensions Regulator — workplace pension and employer duties
- HMRC's Pensions Tax Manual — Annual Allowance, tax relief mechanics, lump sum rules
- Finance Acts — for significant legislative changes, including the Lifetime Allowance abolition and the announced April 2027 IHT reform
- ONS and DWP statistics — participation data, pot size benchmarks, contribution figures
We don't use other websites as the basis for factual content. If a primary source says something different from what's commonly reported, we go with the primary source.
Reviews and updates
Every article shows a Last Reviewed date. This reflects when a human last checked the article against the current rules.
We review all articles at least annually, and immediately when significant rule changes are announced or take effect. When something changes materially, the article body is updated, the review date is revised, and where the change is significant enough to matter, a dated note explains what changed.
Corrections
If you spot an error — wrong figure, outdated rule, calculation that doesn't add up — please let us know. Confirmed errors are corrected within a few working days. We don't quietly rewrite things; the correction is noted on the page with a date.
Affiliate links and how we make money
This site contains affiliate links. When you sign up to a product or service through one of our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
We only link to products and platforms we use ourselves or have researched thoroughly. Affiliate relationships never influence what we write, what we recommend, or how we rank anything. If something earns us a commission, we say so clearly next to the link.
Pensions Explained is a personal project. It costs money to run. Affiliate income helps cover those costs and keeps the content free for everyone.
What this site is not
A financial advice service. The content explains how pensions work. It does not constitute advice tailored to your personal circumstances.