Your Pension Locks Away £20,000 for 30 Years — Your ISA Lets You Build Wealth on Your Own Terms
The pension industry's favourite trick: show you the tax relief number and hope you don't ask what happens next. Yes, a higher-rate taxpayer gets 40% relief on pension contributions. But that money then sits behind a wall until you turn 55, at which point 75% of every withdrawal gets taxed at your marginal rate. Meanwhile, an ISA — the supposedly "inferior" wrapper — lets you invest £20,000, grow it for decades, and withdraw every penny tax-free whenever you choose. No age gate. No income tax on the way out. No 25% limit on what you can take. With the ISA deadline on April 5, three days away, the pension lobby is working overtime to redirect your money into a locked box. Here's why you should resist.