Choose one date and a GBP reporting basis
Decide whether you are recording an individual or household position. Collect bank, ISA, pension, investment, mortgage, and loan statements for the same date where possible. Record differences in dates and the basis of estimates in your working notes.
The UK calculator starts in GBP. It does not convert currencies. Convert overseas holdings yourself at a stated rate. Use your ownership share of jointly held property and a consistent share of its debt; this record is not a legal allocation of joint liability.
Count each ISA account once
GOV.UK lists cash, stocks and shares, innovative finance, and Lifetime ISAs. An ISA is an account structure, not an extra investment to add on top of its contents. Use the current account value rather than the annual subscription allowance or lifetime contributions.
The calculator separates cash ISAs from stocks and shares ISAs. Exclude these balances from ordinary savings and investments outside ISAs. For a Lifetime ISA or another account without a dedicated field, use a named asset row and exclude it from any other total. Restrictions and possible withdrawal charges mean account value is not necessarily cash you can spend today.
Distinguish pension pots from pension income
GOV.UK distinguishes defined-contribution pensions, whose pot value depends on contributions and investments, from defined-benefit schemes, which promise income under scheme rules. This calculator includes current defined-contribution pot values. It does not turn an annual defined-benefit entitlement or State Pension forecast into a lump-sum asset.
A self-invested personal pension (SIPP) is a personal pension. Keep SIPPs and other personal defined-contribution pots separate from workplace pots already entered. If the same pension could fit either heading, choose one field. Do not add its underlying funds again as outside investments.
The result uses account values before any future withdrawal tax or charges. It is not a pension transfer valuation or a recommendation to transfer, withdraw, or consolidate a pension. If you have defined-benefit rights, note their exclusion so that later comparisons keep the same scope.
Separate property, mortgages, and student loans
Enter your share of the property’s current estimated value before the mortgage. Subtract your share of the remaining mortgage separately. Use outstanding debt rather than a monthly repayment. Include overdrafts and other loans once, without also counting an overdrawn account as positive cash.
For consistency, this calculator subtracts the full student-loan statement balance. GOV.UK explains that repayments for income-based plans depend on income and plan thresholds, not the size of that balance. The nominal balance therefore does not describe expected lifetime repayments or current monthly pressure. This method is not advice to make an early repayment.
If you keep a different student-loan measure elsewhere, label its scope and compare like with like. The calculator does not forecast repayments, interest, cancellation, or tax.
A complete synthetic GBP example
These synthetic figures include £90,000 in defined-contribution pension pots and subtract the £30,000 student-loan statement balance. They exclude future State Pension and defined-benefit income. Credit card debt is a confirmed zero, not a missing entry.
| Balance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cash and savings outside ISAs | £10,000 |
| Cash ISAs | £20,000 |
| Stocks and shares ISAs | £30,000 |
| Workplace defined-contribution pensions | £70,000 |
| SIPPs and other personal pension pots | £20,000 |
| Property, before mortgage | £250,000 |
| Total assets | £400,000 |
| Mortgage | £150,000 |
| Student loans | £30,000 |
| Credit card debt | £0 |
| Total liabilities | £180,000 |
| Net worth: assets minus liabilities | £220,000 |
Preserve the assumptions, not just the total
Use a supportable resale estimate for vehicles or business interests in the optional section. Record sources, excluded pension income, and any account restrictions beside your worksheet. Keep the same valuation basis when you return. A broad balance sheet is different from a liquid-assets measure.
The calculator passes a local draft to review. Confirming adds new holdings and a current-month checkpoint; it does not update matching existing accounts. Mixed investment and ISA totals use Other Asset, pension pots use Retirement, and student loans use Education Loan. Keep a private journal backup. This is general education, not financial, pension, legal, or tax advice.
Sources and scope
These are general explanations and product instructions, not personal investment, tax, or debt advice. The examples are synthetic. Product instructions describe the current app.
- GOV.UK: Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)
- GOV.UK: Lifetime ISA withdrawal rules
- GOV.UK: Types of private pensions
- GOV.UK: Personal pensions, including SIPPs
- GOV.UK: Repaying your student loan — How much you repay
For product details, read How it works and Data & privacy. Report a correction through Help & contact.