AJ Bell vs Vanguard pension fees
At a constant £100,000 invested balance, the representative charge for AJ Bell is £250/year and for Vanguard is £150/year . These figures cover selected charge layers. Fund management, transactions, advice, contributions and product terms affect the total cost; the smaller figure does not establish which pension costs less overall.
AJ Bell: Excludes fund charges. The table uses funds. Shares, ETFs and investment trusts use 0.25%, capped at £10/month. Online shares cost £5 per trade, or £3.50 after 10 or more share deals in the previous month; funds cost £1.50 per trade. Eligible regular investing is free. Phone dealing costs £25 and dividend reinvestment £1.50. Cash holding, transfers out and drawdown withdrawals have no charge on this schedule. Foreign exchange and investment costs can apply. Dodl is a separate product.
Vanguard: Excludes fund charges. Fees shown are for the self-managed Personal Pension. A minimum platform fee of £4/month applies to pots under £32,000 (so £25k pays £48/year, exceeding the 0.15% rate of £37.50). Vanguard also offers a Managed Personal Pension which adds a 0.30% management fee on top of the 0.15% account fee. Account fee is not charged on uninvested cash.
- •Most providers quote a platform fee that excludes fund charges (OCF), which are additional and vary by fund choice. A few — NEST, Royal London and PensionBee — include fund management in the selected charge, while other costs can still apply. Headline figures are therefore not always comparable between providers.
- •Fee structures change without notice. Always verify current fees on the provider's website.
- •The lowest platform fee is only one comparison point. Fund range, service, platform features, investment choice, and product restrictions also matter.
- •Before transferring any pension, check for exit fees, guaranteed annuity rates, employer contributions, and protected tax-free cash.
- •This comparison is factual information based on published fee schedules, not a recommendation to choose either provider.
- •If you're unsure which provider is right for you, speak to an FCA-regulated financial adviser.
This comparison describes selected published pension charges. It is general information, not a recommendation to choose or transfer to either provider.