Retirement Statement Reading Aid: What the Numbers Mean (Education Only)
Understand a pension or retirement statement without product advice.
Added October 15, 2026. Written with AI assistance and checked for clarity and placeholders; not reviewed by a lawyer, accountant, clinician or other professional. How these prompts are made
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Help me read a retirement account statement. The statement lines: balance, contributions (employee and employer), fees, investment performance as shown, and projected figures if any: [STATEMENT_LINES]. My age and planned retirement age: [AGE_AND_RETIREMENT_AGE]. Explain each line in plain words. Check the arithmetic of opening balance plus contributions plus growth minus fees equals closing balance. Calculate my total contributions for the year and the employer share as a percentage, and the fees as a percentage of the balance, with the arithmetic. Explain that projections depend on assumptions and show how a different assumed return changes the figure in a small table using rates I choose. List questions to ask the plan administrator. This is education, not investment or pension advice. Rules and tax treatment vary [VERIFY]. Add a worked arithmetic: opening balance 48,000 plus employee 3,600 plus employer 1,800 plus growth 2,400 minus fees 310 gives 55,490 closing; fees are 0.6 percent of the average balance (310 / 51,745). Show a small projection table with three assumed rates I choose, labelled assumptions, and questions for the administrator.
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