how it works
where the numberscome from.
no black box: every figure on this site is either scraped from a public provider fund centre or calculated from revenue's published rules.
method
01
we pull the catalog
a weekly scrape of each provider's public fund centre, normalised into one schema: provider, asset class, risk rating, charge, returns.
02
you filter and compare
search the whole market at once, then put up to four funds side by side with the lowest charge and highest return flagged.
03
the numbers get real
the calculator follows your pot from today to 100: saving with revenue's relief limits, then the lump sum, your income, the state pension from 66 and how long it all lasts, in today's money.
questions
- where does the fund data come from?
- Provider names, fund names, asset classes, risk ratings, and 1/3/5/10-year return figures are sourced weekly from each provider's public fund centre and the National Pension Helpline fund explorer (funds.nationalpensionhelpline.ie) via scripts/scrape-funds.ts. NAV isn't published by this source — only returns are.
- how does my portfolio value change between statements?
- The fund data source publishes returns, not daily unit prices, so each holding is moved day by day with market indices that match what the fund invests in — for example global shares for a global equity fund, or a share/bond mix for a managed fund — using end-of-day prices of euro-priced index ETFs (via Yahoo Finance), less the fund's charge, plus your contributions. It's an estimate: close for index funds, rougher for actively managed ones. Update a holding from your latest statement to reset it to the exact figure.
- how is the tax relief calculated?
- The calculator uses Revenue.ie's age-related percentage limits on net relevant earnings (15% under 30, rising to 40% at 60+) and the €115,000 earnings cap for relief purposes, applied to your marginal tax rate.
- how does the retirement calculator work?
- It steps through every year from now to 100. While you save, contributions are a share of your pay (which rises each year) and the pot grows at a rate set by how much is in shares — 6.5% a year for shares and 3% for bonds and cash over the long run by default, or your own fund's mix or record — less the annual charge, moving to a lower-risk mix before retirement if you choose. At retirement you can take 25% as a lump sum (the first €200,000 tax-free); the rest is drawn down like an ARF, at least Revenue's minimum from 60 (4%, 5% from 70). The State Pension starts at 66, so retiring earlier means years on your pot alone. Amounts can be shown in today's money, with inflation taken out. Income is before income tax and USC.
- is this financial advice?
- No. PensionIQ is an information and comparison tool. Figures are illustrative and you should speak to a qualified financial advisor before making pension decisions.
- what happens to my data?
- Your account and portfolio are stored in the EU (Amsterdam) and only you can see them. Settings lets you export everything or delete your account; see the privacy policy for details.