a UK house, 2010 to December 2025
£10,000 in 2010 is £16,885 in today's money
That £10,000 was £18,388 in today's money. So in real terms you ended up with less than you put in, despite the bigger number.
3.3% a year-0.5% a year after inflation£16,885 in December 2025 money

The same money elsewhere
Same amount, same years, same contributions. Figures are in today's money, after any charges, before tax.
| Instead | In today's money | Real multiple |
|---|---|---|
| The S&P 500S&P 500, to June 2024 | £83,389 | 4.5× |
| Cash at Bank Ratecash | £12,550 | 0.7× |
| A 60/40 portfolio60/40, to June 2024 | £38,060 | 2.1× |
| An 80/20 portfolio80/20, to June 2024 | £55,674 | 3.0× |
| Just keeping up with pricesinflation, to December 2025 | £18,388 | 1.0× |
| A UK house | £16,885 | 0.9× |
What this leaves out
Tax, dealing costs and the spread. Anyone actually saving would have changed their mind at least once. Past returns are a record of what happened, not a forecast — the future is genuinely unknown, and none of this is advice.