The difference between fund and pot performance

Fund performance

Nest’s fund performance can be seen as a reflection of how our investment strategy is working.

Obviously past performance doesn’t guarantee future returns. But if our funds are rising in value over the long term and performing in line with the objectives outlined in the fund performance section of each fund webpage, that’s a good sign that we’re making sound decisions and looking after your money well.

If you’re ever looking to transfer your pension savings, it’s one way of assessing how different providers will handle your money.

However, it’s a measure of all the money held in the same pension fund, rather than just yours, and is one of many factors that affect how much money is in your own pension pot.

How do I check fund performance?

If you’re interested in more detailed information on how our Nest funds perform over time, our quarterly investment report offers comprehensive information on how each of our funds is performing. You can also see how we’ve responded to the latest shifts in the economy and wider financial markets.

Although the report gives a detailed overview of each fund, the numbers won’t necessarily be reflected in the pot performance data found in your annual statement.

Pot performance

Your pension pot is personal to you, and how much you have saved in it is a reflection of how much and when you and your employer pay into it. The performance of your pot is affected by:

• how much you pay into your pot
• how much and how often your employer pays into your pot
• when you get paid, how often, and when your employer passes the money onto us, as that affects when it’s invested in the markets
• how markets perform in the period after each contribution is made to your pot
• how the markets are doing on the particular day you check your pot or during the period of time covered by your annual statement

Remember, your pensions are long-term savings. Think of it in terms of decades, rather than years or months. Our strategy works around the occasional falls we see in the economy and stock market that may cause a fall in how much is in your pot. History shows that these events are short-term, meaning we have time to work to build up your savings.

How do I check my pot?

The best way of checking how much is in your pot is to log in. You may find it useful to log in from time to time to keep track of your savings.

We send you an annual statement which shows how much you’ve saved over a specific timeframe, your investment performance, and an estimate of how much you could have at retirement. You can find this by logging into your account and checking your secure inbox.

If you want to check your pot more regularly than once a year, you can keep an eye on your online account. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that pensions are long-term savings and weekly, monthly or even yearly performance may not reflect what you get overall in the end.