Rate Scenario Selection
Rate Comparison Table
| Financial Indicator | Custom Override | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bank of England Base Rate i Set by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), updated 8 times a year. Influences borrowing and savings rates across the UK economy. Bank of England → | 3.0% | 3.8% | 2.5% | % |
Average Mortgage Rate i Average 2-year fixed residential mortgage rate across major UK lenders, as tracked by Moneyfacts. Moneyfacts → | 5.0% | 5.8% | 3.5% | % |
Savings Account Rate i Average easy-access savings account interest rate from UK banks and building societies. The BoE publishes monthly effective interest rate data covering household deposit and loan accounts. BoE Statistics → | 1.5% | 4.5% | 4.2% | % |
Stock Market Growth i Nominal (not inflation-adjusted) long-run total return of a globally diversified equity portfolio. MSCI World gross total return annualised at ~8.9% from 1986–2025. Before fees. | 4.5% | 8.9% | 10.0% | % |
Pension Fund Growth i Nominal (not inflation-adjusted) projected annual growth for a balanced pension fund, based on long-run equity market returns. The FCA uses 2%, 5%, and 8% for illustration (also nominal); this uses the historical long-run mid-point before fees. FCA guidance → | 4.5% | 8.9% | 10.0% | % |
Property Growth i Nominal (not inflation-adjusted) annual UK house price growth. Current figure reflects Halifax/Nationwide indices for 2026. Long-run nominal average is ~4–5% p.a.; near-term growth is significantly lower due to current market conditions. ONS Price Indices → | 2.0% | 1.5% | 4.5% | % |
Consumer Price Inflation i UK CPI (Consumer Prices Index) as published monthly by the ONS. The Bank of England targets 2% over the medium term. ONS Inflation → | 3.5% | 2.8% | 2.5% | % |
Average Wage Growth i Annual growth in Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) across Great Britain, published monthly by the Office for National Statistics. ONS Earnings → | 1.0% | 3.6% | 2.0% | % |
Pension Management Fee i Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) for a pension fund. Workplace pension default funds are capped at 0.75% per year under FCA charge cap rules. FCA → | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.5% | % |
Pension Annuity Rate i Approximate annual income rate for a level single-life annuity for a 65-year-old with a £100,000 pension pot, before tax. MoneyHelper → | 4.2% | 4.8% | 4.9% | % |
ISA Management Fee i Typical platform or fund annual management charge for a Stocks & Shares ISA. Low-cost index trackers often charge 0.1–0.2%; actively managed funds can reach 0.75%+. This figure is a blended estimate. | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.5% | % |
Changes to scenarios or custom rates automatically update all connected calculators in real-time.
Synopsis
UK Rates is the assumptions engine behind every calculator on this site. Rather than entering growth and interest rates separately for each tool, you choose one of three scenarios — Conservative, Current Market or Optimistic — covering the Bank of England base rate, average mortgage rates, savings account interest, stock market and pension fund growth, UK house price growth, CPI inflation, average wage growth, pension annuity rates, and typical pension and ISA management fees. Each figure is sourced from a recognised UK reference such as the Bank of England, ONS, FCA or Moneyfacts, and every rate can be overridden individually with a custom value if you'd rather model your own assumptions. Whichever scenario or combination of custom values you choose is applied instantly and consistently across the Mortgage, Help to Buy, SIPP, ISA, Workplace Pension and Income calculators — and to both partners in Couple mode — so every projection on your Financial Summary is built on the same, up-to-date set of UK financial assumptions.