Dupage Policy Journal

Former state school employee Mary Balzer, who retired in June 2018, saved $8,182 toward a pension over 9 years working for public schools, Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Balzer would collect as much as $462,729, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes DuPage Policy Journal.

The projection assumes Balzer received $9,726 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 1 years of retirement, Balzer will have already received $9,726 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the teachers' pension fund.