Worked example
Can I retire at 42 with £400k?
Overall, £400k could fund £15k a year — but split as a pension plus a smaller ISA, too much of it is locked away at 42: the accessible savings run dry around age 48, before the pension can be drawn at 55. A bigger ISA or cash bridge, or a slightly later date, closes the gap.
This page has a live calculator — drag your own pension, ISA, savings and age to see the answer update instantly.
The example we modelled
A single person retiring at 42 today with a £400k pot, split so the pension is the bulk of the money. All figures are in today’s money (real terms).
The result at £15k a year
Even the lowest spending level we tested runs short — here is what that looks like.
What retiring at 42 with £400k really means
Bridging the 13 years to pension access
At 42 you’re 13 years short of 55, the earliest you can normally draw a private or workplace pension (rising to 57 in April 2028). Those years have to come from the £80,000 ISA-and-savings slice, not the pension.
In this scenario the accessible savings run dry around age 48, before the pension unlocks — the bridge, not the pension, is what limits retiring this early. A larger ISA slice, a later date, or part-time income for the first few years is what closes it.
Your State Pension changes the maths at 67
Until 67 every pound of the £15k-a-year lifestyle comes from your own savings. Once the full State Pension (£12,548) starts, it covers a chunk of that.
The amount you draw from savings drops from about £15,608 in the year before to £3,060 after — roughly £12,548 a year less pressure on the pot for the rest of retirement.
What it would take to close the gap
Even at £15k a year — the lowest level we tested — £400k runs short around age 48 on these assumptions.
Because you're retiring before 55, the squeeze comes early. Realistically this needs a bigger pot, a later start, or part-time income to bridge the first stretch.
How far £400k stretches at different spending levels
The same pot, retiring at 42, tested from £15k to £60k of annual spending.
| Annual spending | Verdict | Money lasts | Left at 95 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £15,000 | Bridge gap | Bridge gap at 48 | £1,766,999 |
| £20,000 | Bridge gap | Bridge gap at 46 | £1,143,083 |
| £30,000 | Runs short | Runs out at 91 | £0 |
| £40,000 | Runs short | Runs out at 71 | £0 |
| £50,000 | Runs short | Runs out at 65 | £0 |
| £60,000 | Runs short | Runs out at 63 | £0 |
Year-by-year projection at £15k a year
Projected balances every five years, in today’s money. Spending includes your State Pension once it starts at 67, so the amount drawn from your savings drops from then on.
| Age | Spending | State Pension | Drawn from savings | Pot value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | £15,000 | £0 | £15,000 | £401,000 |
| 47 | £15,000 | £0 | £15,000 | £406,633 |
| 52 | £15,000 | £0 | £0 | £492,625 |
| 57 | £15,000 | £0 | £15,608 | £550,634 |
| 62 | £15,000 | £0 | £15,608 | £585,395 |
| 67 | £15,000 | £12,548 | £3,060 | £640,235 |
| 72 | £15,000 | £12,548 | £3,060 | £762,372 |
| 77 | £15,000 | £12,548 | £3,060 | £910,971 |
| 82 | £15,000 | £12,548 | £3,060 | £1,091,765 |
| 87 | £15,000 | £12,548 | £3,060 | £1,311,728 |
| 92 | £15,000 | £12,548 | £3,060 | £1,579,346 |
| 95 | £15,000 | £12,548 | £3,060 | £1,766,999 |
Illustrative only, using fixed assumptions. Investment returns are not guaranteed and your own tax, income and circumstances will differ. Not regulated financial advice.
Try it with your own numbers
LiveThis runs the real planner engine right here in your browser. Change your pots and monthly saving and watch the answer for retiring at 42 update instantly.
Your accessible savings run out at 51, before your pension becomes available at 55. About £49,802 of spending across ages 51–55 can't be met yet
Projected pot (today's money)
Retiring at 40 with a different pot
Retiring with £400k at a different age
Frequently asked questions
Can I retire at 42 with £400k?
Overall, £400k could fund £15k a year — but split as a pension plus a smaller ISA, too much of it is locked away at 42: the accessible savings run dry around age 48, before the pension can be drawn at 55. A bigger ISA or cash bridge, or a slightly later date, closes the gap. These figures assume £400k split as £320k in a pension and £80k in an ISA, £12,548 of State Pension from age 67, and around 5% investment growth a year above inflation.
How much can I spend a year if I retire at 42 with £400k?
Even £15k a year runs short before age 95 on these assumptions. The table shows exactly when the money runs out at each spending level — you'd need lower spending, more income, or a later retirement date to close the gap.
Can I access my pension at 42?
Not yet. The earliest you can normally take a private or workplace pension is age 55 (rising to 57 in April 2028). Retiring at 42 means bridging the 13 years until then from ISAs and other savings — which is why the ISA slice of the pot matters so much at this age.
Are these numbers financial advice?
No. This is an illustrative worked example from a free planning tool, using fixed assumptions about growth, inflation, tax and the State Pension. Your own situation — other pensions, a partner, different returns — will change the answer. Open the planner to run it with your real figures.