Save More with AVCs

Everyone’s vision of life in retirement varies.

Peace of mind with the lifetime income and survivor benefits your OMERS pension delivers may be all you need for retirement. If you are looking for the potential to earn more, the Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) provision of the OMERS Primary Pension Plan could be for you.

Similar to RRSPs in many ways, funds in an AVC account are invested in the OMERS Fund (the Fund), a globally diverse portfolio of high-quality investments that is committed to meeting our obligations to plan members through predictable and stable long-term returns.

Contributions to an AVC account receive the same net investment returns as the Fund. AVCs returned 11.9% in 2019. If you have an AVC account, your 2019 AVC Annual Statement is now available on myOMERS under MY REPORTS.

All members can transfer money from other registered retirement savings vehicles such as RRSPs to an AVC account up to the end of the year they turn age 70. Active members can also contribute regularly, from as low as $40 per month, via pre-authorized debit or payroll deduction if your employer offers the AVC payroll deduction option. These contributions are credited with the Fund’s net rate of return for the calendar year, prorated to reflect when the deposit was made. This means that the rate of return that will be credited on your contributions is determined by the performance of the Fund over the course of the full year, not just from the point when your deposit was made. To learn more about how the net rate of return is applied to your account, check out our Rate of Return Examples.

AVCs are a low cost investment. This helps to ensure every cent counts toward your retirement savings.