AVCs

[merrymarch]

Struggling to get my head around AVCs or whether it'd be better upping my contributions to my Teacher's Pension.

Does anyone know if there are Financial Advisors who are specifically knowledgeable about academic pensions?

Not sure, but I believe it is almost always better to do the AVCs. For all its general crappiness, the USS pension scheme is still a lot better than a SIPP or most other options.

Ask USS / payroll people at your institution if there is advice available. I'm always getting invites to USS seminars (am coming up to start of retirement years).

Decades ago when Prudential managed USS I had a free advisor. He told me not to do AVCs then, actually: I was pregnant & he said I'd most likely need the money for other things. Was decent advice.

I think it's the TPS not USS I'm enrolled on and it's murder trying to find a real life person to speak with, even at the end of the phone. The TPS site merely links to the Pru website for further info.