Allocation recommendations to retirement

Three growth-focused Aviva pension allocation options, compared side by side with reasons for and against each route. Projections are estimates to your planned retirement date of 17 July 2045.

How To Read This

The figures below are not guarantees. They are modelled estimates using your latest statement value, the latest monthly contribution of £491.01 annualised, and the allocation mixes we discussed.

The main estimate uses a planning return for each option after an estimated Aviva plan charge plus weighted fund charges. The page also shows a cautious case and a recent-performance repeat case so the range is visible.

Recommendation Logic

  • Keep the portfolio equity-heavy because the time horizon is still close to 20 years.
  • Reduce the current UK overweight and move the growth engine toward US and developed global equities.
  • Use emerging markets as a controlled satellite, not the whole portfolio.
  • Prefer low-cost index funds for the core; only use concentrated active funds knowingly.

Side By Side

Recommended

Core Growth

Best balance of growth, global spread, low cost, and controlled emerging-market exposure.

£427k Planning estimate at retirement, about £264k in today's money at 2.5% inflation.
55
30
15
BlackRock Developed World Fossil Fuel Screened Index55%
Aviva Pensions US Equity S630%
BlackRock Emerging Markets Index Tracker15%
Planning return6.11%
Weighted fund charge0.067%
Risk styleHigh

For

  • Strongest all-round recommendation for a 20-year horizon.
  • Broad developed-world core avoids relying entirely on the US.
  • Emerging markets add long-term growth potential without dominating the pot.
  • Very low weighted fund charge.

Against

  • Still fully exposed to equity-market falls.
  • Less explosive upside than the more aggressive option.
  • Developed-world fund is still heavily North America weighted.
Higher Risk

Aggressive Growth

A stronger bet on US equities plus a larger allocation to concentrated emerging markets.

£446k Planning estimate at retirement, about £276k in today's money at 2.5% inflation.
55
25
20
Aviva Pensions US Equity S655%
BlackRock Developed World Fossil Fuel Screened Index25%
Invesco Emerging Markets ex China20%
Planning return6.44%
Weighted fund charge0.163%
Risk styleHighest

For

  • Highest planning estimate among the three options.
  • Leans into the strongest low-cost growth engine in the fund menu: US equities.
  • Invesco EM ex China has had outstanding recent performance.
  • Meaningfully removes the current UK-heavy tilt.

Against

  • Largest drawdown risk and most behaviourally difficult to hold.
  • Invesco fund is concentrated, typically 35-45 stocks.
  • Very dependent on US mega-cap and emerging-market cycles.
  • Recent-performance projections are especially unreliable here.
Simplest

Simpler Low-Cost

A two-fund version: cheap, easy to understand, and still much more growth-led than your current UK-heavy split.

£432k Planning estimate at retirement, about £267k in today's money at 2.5% inflation.
60
40
Aviva Pensions US Equity S660%
BlackRock Developed World Fossil Fuel Screened Index40%
Planning return6.21%
Weighted fund charge0.034%
Risk styleHigh

For

  • Cleanest and lowest-cost portfolio to manage.
  • Still shifts decisively away from the current UK overweight.
  • No concentrated active emerging-market fund.
  • Very easy to review annually.

Against

  • No dedicated emerging-market allocation.
  • Most dependent on US and developed-market leadership continuing.
  • Less geographically complete than Core Growth.

Projection Range

Option Cautious Case Planning Estimate Recent-Performance Repeat Today's-Money Planning Value
Core Growth £327k £427k £559k £264k
Aggressive Growth £327k £446k £874k £276k
Simpler Low-Cost £327k £432k £700k £267k

Cautious case uses 4.0% net annual growth for all options. Planning estimates use option-specific net growth assumptions. Recent-performance repeat uses the weighted historic CAGRs from the workbook adjusted for the plan charge; it is shown for context, not as an expectation.

Planning Estimate Path

Estimated pot size at future age points using the planning return for each option.

Core 50
Core 55
Core 60
Core 66
Agg. 50
Agg. 55
Agg. 60
Agg. 66
Simple 50
Simple 55
Simple 60
Simple 66

Milestone Table

Option Age 50 / 2029 Age 55 / 2034 Age 60 / 2039 Age 66 / 2045
Core Growth £86k £154k £253k £427k
Aggressive Growth £87k £158k £261k £446k
Simpler Low-Cost £86k £155k £255k £432k

My Read

Core Growth is the cleanest recommendation. It gives you a broad developed-world anchor, a deliberate US growth tilt, and enough emerging markets to improve the growth profile without turning the whole pension into a concentrated bet.

Aggressive Growth is viable only if you can sit through ugly years. It has the highest planning estimate, but it also has the most concentrated emerging-market risk. The recent-performance repeat number is deliberately shown as a warning as much as a temptation.

Simpler Low-Cost is the best behavioural option. If you want something you can set, review once a year, and understand at a glance, this is the easiest portfolio to live with.

Sources And Notes

Local sources used: Aviva Pension Funds.xlsx, your 2026 Aviva statement, and the local factsheets for the funds listed above. These source documents are not included in this public static page.

External guidance checked: MoneyHelper pension investment options, FCA diversification, and FCA golden rules of investing.

This is an analytical model, not regulated financial advice. Values are nominal unless labelled as today's money. Market returns, contribution levels, charges, tax rules, retirement age, and fund availability can all change.