A different source of exposure.
Gold may behave differently from shares and bonds. Diversification can help spread risk, but cannot prevent losses.
GOLD & RETIREMENT
Your next chapter.
A broader
perspective.
Explore how physical gold differs from pension fund investments, what history can tell us, and the questions worth asking before making a decision.
Gold can fall in value and does not pay an income. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
PHYSICAL GOLD · LONGER-TERM QUESTIONSSTART WITH THE DISTINCTION
A pension is a structure.
Gold is an asset.
A pension can hold a mix of investments, subject to its rules. Gold is one possible asset, rather than an alternative pension wrapper. Your income needs, time horizon, existing benefits and the costs all matter.
Growth is not an income.
Gold pays no interest or dividends. Meeting retirement withdrawals may require selling some holdings, potentially at a loss.
Understand the full cost.
Buying premiums, sale spreads, storage, insurance and pension administration can all affect the amount you receive.
HISTORICAL COMPARISON · GBP
What did the
numbers look like?
Compare the gold price with two named multi-asset funds that illustrate different mixes of shares and bonds. These funds are examples, not a pension-market average.
Historical illustration only.
No contributions or withdrawals.
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Gold and these funds have different risks and costs; this is not a recommendation to replace a pension with gold.
MULTI-ASSET FUND · ACCUMULATION
Vanguard LifeStrategy 20% Equity
GBP Gross Accumulation · GB00B4NXY349
£99,858−0.1% cumulativeIllustrated end value
MULTI-ASSET FUND · ACCUMULATION
Vanguard LifeStrategy 60% Equity
GBP Accumulation · GB00B3TYHH97
£119,694+19.7% cumulativeIllustrated end value
GOLD PRICE BENCHMARK · BEFORE COSTS
Gold price in pounds sterling
LBMA Gold Price PM · World Gold Council
£243,299+143.3% cumulativeIllustrated benchmark value
Period: 31 December 2021 to 31 December 2025, using the published calendar-year returns below. Calculations compound rounded annual returns, so results are approximate.
Read the comparison in context.
Fund returns include ongoing fund charges and reinvested income. They exclude entry/exit fees and any platform, pension administration, adviser charges or personal tax. Gold is a price benchmark before buying/selling spreads, storage, insurance, pension fees and tax; an actual physical-gold holding would achieve a different, lower return after costs. Inflation is not deducted from any row. This period was particularly strong for gold and is not representative of every period.
These named funds are not Rosebud Maximus products and are not sponsored or endorsed by Vanguard. Pension benefits and investment performance are different things: this table does not value a defined-benefit pension, an annuity or State Pension income.
Annual returns, sources & calculation method +
| Series | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LifeStrategy 20% Equity | −15.8 | 7.2 | 3.2 | 7.2 |
| LifeStrategy 60% Equity | −11.2 | 10.1 | 9.7 | 11.6 |
| Gold price (GBP) | 12.5 | 8.7 | 27.7 | 55.8 |
Illustrated end value = starting amount × the product of (1 + each annual return ÷ 100). The three-year option uses 2023–2025, beginning 31 December 2022. No forecast is calculated.
- Vanguard LifeStrategy 20% Equity — KIID, 26 June 2026 ↗
- Vanguard LifeStrategy 60% Equity — KIID, 26 June 2026 ↗
- Gold annual returns: World Gold Council, December market commentaries for 2022 ↗, 2023 ↗, 2024 ↗ and 2025 ↗, Table 1, GBP column. Sources: Bloomberg; World Gold Council; ICE Benchmark Administration where stated. Last checked 20 October 2026.
Gold benchmark information is used as a limited extract for comparison and commentary. The annual return figures are rounded as published. Vanguard’s KIIDs note a fund-structure change effective January 2026; the table shows earlier historical results, not a prediction of the current structure’s returns.
BEFORE MAKING A CHANGE
Keep your retirement
needs at the centre.
Consider the income you need, how much cash you may need access to, and how a fall in gold’s price would affect your plans.
Request a conversation ↗Should I move my pension into gold?+
This page cannot determine what is suitable for you. Speak with an FCA-authorised financial adviser before changing pension investments, transferring benefits or giving up guarantees. Concentrating retirement assets in one commodity can increase risk.
Can I hold the pension’s gold at home?+
Do not assume this is permitted. Confirm ownership, custody and access arrangements with your pension provider or scheme administrator before buying.
Is a gold purchase guaranteed or income-producing?+
No. Gold prices can fall and gold itself pays no income. Selling costs, storage and other charges can reduce the amount you receive.
How can Rosebud Maximus help?+
Ask the team for product information, availability and quotations. Any pension-related purchase must be confirmed with your scheme provider. A product enquiry is not a pension transfer instruction or a personal recommendation.
A PERSONAL CONVERSATION
Discuss gold
for retirement.
Request product information or a callback about physical gold and pension-related enquiries.
Visit our contact page ↗