Should you save into a Lifetime ISA, a pension or both?

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All information is correct as at 30 June 2021 unless otherwise stated.

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Both a Lifetime ISA (LISA) and a pension offer a tax-efficient way to save and invest for retirement. It’s important to know the ins and outs of each, to make sure you make the right choice for your situation. The option that offers the better benefits will depend on your circumstances and the product and tax rules that apply at the time, which can change.

First, you need to get to grips with the basics. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of how each account works.

We hope you find these comparisons helpful, but this isn’t personal advice. If you’re unsure what’s right for you, ask for financial advice. Tax rules can change and any benefits depend on individual circumstances.

So which account comes up trumps for retirement saving?

A workplace pension normally takes the top spot. As a general rule, if your employer offers a workplace pension, that should be your first port of call for retirement savings.

Your employer is legally required to contribute an amount equal to at least 3% of your salary within a set band (providing you’re eligible). Lots of employers will match anything you pay into your pension up to a certain limit.

You also get tax relief on your pension contributions. If you want to put away more for your retirement, check if your employer will pay in more. The most any employer will contribute varies, so it’s worth getting in touch with them to confirm how much they’ll put in.

Another time a pension normally comes first is if your employer offers salary sacrifice and would agree to pay any National Insurance contribution rebate into your workplace pension.

If your employer is already contributing the maximum, or they won’t pay in more, then the most tax-efficient account (a LISA or a pension) to pay extra retirement savings into will depend on your personal circumstances – things like your salary and your tax situation.

Remember savings outside a pension (like a Lifetime ISA) could affect your entitlement to means-tested state benefits.

Earn up to £50,270? Here's why you should consider a LISA

For a basic-rate taxpayer, once you’ve maximised the yearly contributions from your employer, it could be more tax-efficient to pay the next £4,000 of your retirement savings into a LISA. That’s assuming your employer doesn’t offer salary sacrifice.

You get a 25% bonus from the government on money you pay into a LISA up to the £4,000 annual limit – that’s £1,000 in free money each tax year. When you come to withdraw after age 60, it will be completely tax-free . When you take money from a pension, usually only up to 25% is tax free. The rest (usually 75%) is taxable income.

Let's say you pay £4,000 into a LISA for ten years. You'd have a pot worth £50,000 which you could withdraw entirely tax free from age 60. If you pay the same amount into a pension, you’d also end up with a pot worth £50,000. That’s because basic-rate tax is currently 20%, and you’d get basic-rate tax relief on contributions, subject to limits.

But when you came to take the money out of the pension, you’d normally only get up to 25% (£12,500 in this case) tax free. The rest will be taxed as income.

This is just an example. It doesn't account for any investment growth, loss, or charges. Remember, unlike the security offered by cash, investments can fall as well as rise in value, so you could get back less than you invest. The value of cash can be eroded by the impact of inflation over time.

Earn more than £50,270? Here’s why you should consider a pension (or both)

If you’re a higher-rate taxpayer, you’ll usually be better off paying extra retirement savings into a pension. This is because the extra tax relief you can get on pension contributions will offset the tax you pay on withdrawals later. That's assuming you’ll be a basic-rate taxpayer in retirement.

The 25% LISA bonus is effectively the same as a basic-rate taxpayer's pension tax relief. But as a higher earner, you can claim back more in tax relief through your tax return – making pension contributions more tax-efficient than LISA contributions.

Let's say you pay tax at 40%, you’d normally be entitled to tax relief of up to 40% on your personal pension contributions. If you paid £4,000 into a pension, you’d get up to £2,000 in tax relief. But if you paid the same amount into a LISA, you'd only get £1,000 in government bonus.

When to consider a LISA and pension

If you’re a higher earner you might be better off with a mix-and-match approach. You could pay into your pension to get all the higher rates of relief you can. Then once you’ve maxed out your pension allowances, you could consider putting the next £4,000 into a LISA and benefit from the LISA bonus.

For more on pension allowances visit our contributions page.